I first learned to appreciate the workings of a kitchen while watching my Kentucky grandmother, who believe it or not had some remarkable similarities to “Granny” from “The Beverly Hillbillies” TV show… before they struck oil! My grandmother did not have all of the fancy gadgets available today, and by many would be considered one of the truly “backward country folk”, but through watching her I saw a genuine artist at work. The knowledge… the creativity… the feeling… the passion… flowed from her soul much like it must from a conductor while directing a symphony.  There were no recipes for her to read, just what was in her head, most of which had been put there by her mother, a full blooded American Indian. It was impossible, while watching her prepare “vittles” in her tiny kitchen, not to glean a few crumbs of cooking wisdom, all of which I will forever be thankful for. After graduating from high school my interest in cooking took me to college and professional kitchens in the north where I learned about the culinary interests of just about everyone in the world OTHER than those from the southern United States (knowledge of true southern cooking seems to be limited to only those from the south).  Eventually I married a man who had been given, long before I met him, the nickname of “Jethro”, also a character on “The Beverly Hillbillies” TV show. Jethro was known for his unrelenting appetite; an appetite which had no apparent effect on his waistline. Not long afterwards 2 Jethro Juniors were added to the family, all 3 of them normally hungry and glaring at me with big eyes and a fork in one hand. They have kept me sufficiently busy in the kitchen (and in every other room for that matter) for the past 20+ years. Now that the 2 Jethro Juniors are feeding themselves quite effectively (one has definitely received an extra dose of cooking genes) I find myself doing more baking and less entrée experimentation. Every once in a while a hankering hits me to create a dish from my youth or tackle a new recipe that on paper seems impossible, but for the most part I have entered a season of “comfort.” For the first time in a quarter of a century I do not HAVE to make a big meal every day, and I am loving that… right now anyway. Before long the comfort will turn to boredom and I will be right back in my apron, cooking on the new stove Jethro Senior has been promising me for the past 10 years. When left to my own devices I will likely visit Puerto Rico again, or Morocco, or Nepal… and delve into their traditional cooking, which is something I have always wanted to master. That doesn’t sound so bad actually… being able to cook what I want when I want. Perhaps I should begin shopping for that new stove after all.

  Anything chocolate, containing chocolate, or even tastes like it contains chocolate, is OK by me. Desserts are a favorite weakness of mine, particularly now that my children are grown and much more of the creation is left up to me to consume! (The Apricot Torte just popped into my mind... and the Kaluah Mousse Torte... and the Mile High Turtle Pie!) Thankfully fresh fruit is also very high on my list and could easily be considered "dessert." It often is. In fact fruit normally constitutes at least a portion of my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. For main dishes I’m not much of a meat eater and prefer lots of vegetables, legumes, etc… with little meat. A variety of cheeses, nuts, fruits, and a glass of wine would make a perfect meal for me. I particularly like trying new things and have enjoyed learning about and experimenting with foods from other cultures. India, Tibet and Nepal have made the most recent positive impact, however if time allows I would like to at least sample traditional food from absolutely everywhere (I draw the line at insects and larva!). My best memories of food are of course those enormous spreads covering an entire table in my grandmother’s home in southern Kentucky.