Karly

I’ve always loved food and I’ve always loved to cook. I was also lucky enough to have been raised in a family of people who are all amazing cooks. My great grandmother owned a popular restaurant, and my grandmother took many gourmet cooking classes over the years. When I was a kid, my aunt owned and operated a local deli that my mother helped to run. Everything was made from scratch and with great patience. I spent a lot of time at the deli after school and on weekends. It was there that I first learned how to make homemade noodles, bagel chips, and the best damned cheesecake that town had ever seen! My first memories of food go back to that time in my life, and I think that’s where my passion must have started.

Today, I cook because it brings me joy. I love to try new things – new recipes, new restaurants, and foods that I’ve never tasted before. I know it’s not always convenient, but I also try my best to use local,organic, sustainable ingredients.

Once of the best things about cooking is the entertaining! There’s nothing better to me than getting together and cooking with great ingredients, great wine, and great friends.

My foodie philosophy: Eat real food, and make cooking fun!

“I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure” ― Anthony Bourdain

Lorraine

I am 29 years old and live in Funkytown with my husband and our two adorable mutts. I decided to become a foodie a few years ago after wanting to learn more about healthy and wholesome cooking.

Up until my mid-twenties I was pretty oblivious about where food came from, who produced it, and what the nutritional value of that food was. After some serious research and lots of reading I started to put a lot more thought into the food decisions that I was making. I began trying to incorporate a wider variety of ingredients into my diet. I also did my best to make sure that more of the foods I was eating were local, organic and whole grain. Using those newly discovered whole ingredients I started making more of our meals at home and discovered in the process that I love cooking!

To be able to make a nutritious home cooked meal and to share that with friends and family around the table is one of the best everyday pleasures I can imagine. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a good old- fashioned cheeseburger and fries every now and then, too.

My foodie philosophy: Good food and good company are key ingredients to life!

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” – Julia Child

Nancy

I strongly believe that food tastes better when it’s shared with someone else. One of my greatest pleasures is hearing someone saying, “mmmmm!” to something I have cooked.

Not only is it flattering for me, but it pleases me to know that I can create that enjoyment for someone else. My second greatest pleasure is having someone else cook a meal for me. I love the challenges and surprises it creates for my palate, and I enjoy the interpretive experience of tasting someone else’s version of a dish I may have tried many times before. Not everyone’s beef stew is the same; not everyone’s chili is the same; not everyone’s bread pudding is the same.

As a current graduate student, I can definitely empathize with those who spend most of their days grazing and never taking the time to cook themselves a decent meal. I can also empathize with cooking on a budget. My hope is to show you that cooking yourself a meal is definitely worth the effort, and it can be inexpensive.

Also, I strongly believe that we should be conscious of where our food comes from and adamant about consuming food with integrity. I buy organic (when I can afford it) and buy local whenever possible. I am more attracted to restaurants that take pride in serving local, fresh ingredients. I grow vegetables and herbs in my garden and try to “close the loop” as much as possible by composting kitchen waste. My hope is that you will become more interested and aware of your food sources.

“Shake the hand that feeds you.” Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto