I am a multi-media artist, cook, gardener, art teacher, swim boutique manager, surfer... I love living life to the fullest, every moment, all the time. I appreciate the simple things in life...When it comes to food, it is supremely important for me to know it's source, support locally and eat organic whenever possible. I am pescetarian (fish-atarian). I haven't eaten beef or poultry in over ten years. I did go three of those years as a vegetarian. I have a sweet spot for farmers markets. One of the biggest reasons I moved into my current home is the nearby proximity of the weekly farmers market, only four blocks away. The market is a Saturday morning ritual that I look forward to. I do have somewhat of a green thumb and enjoy growing my own food, herbs and flowers, as I live in Honolulu, a place where year round gardening is possible. Also, my grandmother, Ella, and great grandparents were Jersey tomato farmers who grew for Campbell Soup.
My favorite room in the house is my kitchen. The only things I need are some fresh ingredients, a good knife, cutting board, a pot and some fire. I started cooking when I was old enough to reach over the counter, or stand on a chair to help. Both of my dads (dad & stepdad) were influential in my abilities towards savory cooking and the mom's definitely more in the baking department. My grand"mudder", as my family calls her, was also an influence, as she was a middle school cooking & home ec. teacher. I felt comfortable in the kitchen growing up, and learned much cooking with family.
Then college came, and so did trying every kind of food outside of the bounds of the cuisines I grew up with, Thai, Indian, Sushi, Afghani, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern..... Experiencing such varying, robust flavors provided great inspiration to keep cooking. So cooking commenced in the ghetto fabulous community dorm kitchen/ mini fridge life. Both disaster struck and magic happened!
Cooking in a makeshift environment didn't stop there, as I pursued cooking at outdoor concerts and festivals in the summertime (2001-2006) under a tent, over a campfire or propane stove. The rules were that every aspect of the kitchen must be able to fit in the back of a car, and every ingredient must be able to survive in a cooler. This was my first paid venture in cooking. There was magic, fun and thrill in cooking on the road, renegade style. There was great attraction to the spontaneity of the journey and figuring things out as it went. My cooking partner in crime during these ventures was none other than the vibrant and creative, Sarah Fazio. We kept it fairly simple and sold everything from burritos, grilled cheese, mac 'n cheese, cookies and brownies. At times, we got more complex and sold fat veggie sushi hand rolls, that we called Japanese burritos! We also sold bottled organic juices and energy bars. This venture put thousands of miles on my car, however, paid for the gas and gave me the opportunity to spend time in almost every state across the US. We even made it to Costa Rica where we volunteered on a sea turtle reserve, and of course, made our way into the kitchen in the jungle to learn the local cuisine.
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| Cooking, literally, on the road in 18 hour traffic jam, Tennessee,2002 |
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| In the jungle kitchen, Costa Rica, 2005 |
Currently, I work part time in a catering kitchen for two awesome Aussie sisters at D'lish Catering Hawaii. I have learned a great amount of tips and tricks in the kitchen from Chef Leigh Heggie Adams, and designer/coordinator/ front of house extraordinaire, Gina Ornellas. These women know their stuff. I have even been given the amazing opportunity to work at Eddie Vedder's wedding with my co-blogging sister, Katie. A really cool experience indeed! It was like getting paid to see many of our favorite musicians play a live private concert, while feeding them at the same time. Not only have I learned great things from the superwomen of D'lish, but we know how to have fun while doing them!
When I'm not in the kitchen, I'm most likely surfing, playing with glass and fire, or other fun art things. Oh yea, I also am most likely in Waikiki selling locally designed bikinis in a fun little boutique.
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| University of Hawaii glass studio, 2010 |
I can't stop cooking. It's all about trying new things, cooking from your heart and with your family and friends, learning and making it better everytime! Keep inspired to create both in the kitchen and out, learn and grow from these endeavors, and keep on going!
Aloha,
Lauren
