My Italian heritage (my dad), had me living as most
first generation immigrant families, submerged in a
world dominated by Italian food. My father had of course
the proverbial big Italian mama. Who's life's work was
cooking and feeding her boys. Dad made Sunday sauce
for the pasta, and holidays were spent at my grand mothers
or one of my fathers 3 brothers whose wives primary
job was cooking for their boys. (Yes all Italian).
My
introduction to food writers like Marcella Hazan certainly
increased my interest and knowledge of what a more authentic
Italian kitchen really is, as did my vacations to Italy.
When
I started cooking school like most I discovered Escoffier
the great French Chef and my first book, the bible of
French cooking, Le Guide Culinaire, which nearly died
an unnatural death from being read and re-read to death.
School began my interest in French cooking and still
plays a heavy roll in my cooking. Most of my early contacts
in New York restaurants were with French bistro style
kitchens and every trip to France is still a culinary
adventure.
Growing
up and living in New York City certainly has influenced
what I think good dining, style and entertaining is
and how it's done well. So has 15 years living with
a diplomat, seven of them in NYC, a cocktail party once
a month was required entertaining. Let’s not forget
all the dinner parties as well.
Weather
its Le Cirque or Papaya King you find in NYC there is
a place and time for everything so long as it's good!
For food people in NYC the bottom line is always, what's
on the plate and how good it is. Real food people don't
mess around, it's either good or it's not, they can
be terribly brutal. Millions of people and I promise,
not all of them live on Fast Food. So many immigrants
from so many countries, Italian, German, Irish, Thai,
Vietnamese, Mexican, Brazilian, Japanese, you name it
its there with food specialty shops to cater to them.
America
is so big that we have our own naturalized cuisines
like Cajun and New South West, Californian, New England
and don't forget BBQ which is actually two cuisines
unto itself, depending on where you come from.
My
mother is American and her first family descendant date
back as far as 1650 and came originally from Belgium.
Mom was from New York State and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania
Dutch country, where food has a heavy influence by its
early German immigrant settlers for the most part. It
also has strong culinary traditions in common with New
England where English food traditions are present, even
today. Our family in Pennsylvania were by this time
(the late 1800's) descendents of French and mainly English
immigrants and our English descendants originated in
the small English town of Worcestershire, the town famous
for the sauce.
If
you love American food you will love Pennsylvania where
all the northern European food traditions were embraced.
I will never forget fantastic preserves, jams, liters
of maple sap being boiled down to make maple syrup on
a great black wood burning stove which also help heat
the whole house. The best cherry pies in the world,
my aunt was the queen of pie making and preserving.
Great memories and great food! It's a place were even
today there are county fairs and the world revolves
around agriculture.
Living
in Sweden for 20 years has been a treat as well. The
kitchen is not as extensive but just as interesting.
New restaurants and younger chefs and everyone is trying
to make it new, and make it good. The difference between
1985 and 2005 is fantastic. I can honestly say that
when I travel, I do really long to get back to Stockholm
for a decent meal out.
I have always had a talent for baking, strange when
you consider that I am not a big desert eater myself.
But of course people love their deserts and they can
make spectacular endings to great meals.
In
general I would have to say that I am a pretty good
all round cook. and I wouldn't say that I am an expert
in one particular cuisine. Years of reading, cooking,
entertaining and traveling have given me an experience
that is invaluable and that few cooks I know have. I
am so happy to be able to combine and use all this knowledge
to be able to turn out some rather wonderful meals.
With some confidence and I hope with some modesty, I
think that my cooking and entertaining style is of a
high standard which I enjoy and love to share.
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