I live in St Croix US Virgin Islands, with my husband & 3 kids. One of my favorite pastimes is cooking (&eating) for family & friends. Luckily, I also love to stay active. I enjoy swimming, biking, running (triathlons), kite surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, walking, hiking, tennis, soccer, sailing, gardening, yoga & chasing after my toddler are just some of things that keep my food obsession in check.
I also love to travel!! I have had the opportunity of traveling to many different places; Italy, France, Spain, Canery Islands, Morocco, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Ireland, England, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Taiwan, Aruba, St Martin, and other islands. My travels have been a huge inspiration for cooking & eating a variety of foods. I love ethnic, spicy foods.
I like to make dishes that are simple, with few ingredients and easy ratios, but occasionally can get carried away. I try to use fresh, in season produce, but the supermarkets in St Croix are limited especially on fresh produce. So, we try to buy locally from the farmers markets or grow it ourselves. Our property isn't that big, but big enough. We have our own chickens for eggs, lots of fruit trees (mango, banana, pomegranate, coconut, guava, carambola, orange, avocado, papaya, grapefruit, & passion fruit). I usually have fresh herbs growing in pots.
I grew up in New Paltz, NY, not far from the CIA-Culinary Institute of America. So even the deli's in my home town served gourmet dishes, a great inspiration. I have always enjoyed cooking for my big family, of 10. Holidays and family get togethers have always been about the food; who's cooking what, when, where, why & how. Both my grandmothers (and Italian grandfather) have been amazing cooks. As well as my mother and father. My Italian mom even makes her own pasta, when she can find the time. My mother in law is also a great 'southern' cook and is an amazing baker. I have learned a lot by helping and watching my wonderful cooking mentors and friends. I decided to start this blog to keep track of my favorite recipes, share them with family & friends, get feed back and inspiration. I hope you enjoy!
