The two things I love most are good writing and good food. Happily for me, I discovered I could do both at the same time!

My food career had its early beginnings as a home ec teacher for the visually impaired. Later I decided to become a food professional and worked for caterers and restaurants. It was through my catering business that I landed my first job in a test kitchen for a small health food publication, Delicious! magazine. From there I began a freelance career as a food stylist and food consultant.

The writing part was a little more difficult to add, but eventually the opportunities opened up. I really do see a recipe as story to tell. I've studied creative non-fiction with three wonderful teachers: William Least Heat-Moon; Lauren Cowen; and Rachel Simon (www.rachelsimon.com). Read their books, too!

My work on the radio show, A Chef's Table, gives me a wonderful opportunity to meet all sorts of great home cooks and professional chefs. Some of the terrific recipes in the book came from them. A Chef's Table is produced by WHYY and you can listen by going to www.whyy.org/chef.