Barb Harris -- I’ve loved cooking since I was little, helping Dad make dinner while Mom was still at work. I had my first subscription to Bon Appetit at age 10, and while most kids were watching cartoons on Saturday morning, I was glued to PBS watching Julia Child and the Frugal Gourmet.
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| Barb was in her glory visiting the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. She's now at home learning how to pickle this huge daikon radish. |
I love going out to eat at great restaurants, and could be labeled a “foodie,” but my first love is cooking at home for my husband and teen daughter, often dissecting a dish from one of our ventures out. But, most nights just find me in the kitchen being creative – either dreaming up something new with what I have in the pantry, or tweaking a recipe.
Certainly not a “hostess with the mostest” like my pal Sharon, my entertaining is limited to a few friends for dinner and a movie, or the requisite holiday meal gatherings with extended family. Sharing food is sharing love in my book, and when I’m not cooking, I’m working in my church's food pantry, or volunteering at one of the hunger/homeless related charities here in Phoenix.
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| Sweet black sticky rice soup with coconut cream embellishment Cooking class in Hanoi during recent trip to Vietnam |
I love to entertain and create a great social experience. I believe the best conversations are had sitting around the table enjoying delicious, home-cooked food.
Lactose-intolerant, and recently diagnosed as gluten-intolerant (a few other foods are becoming suspect as well), I'm on a relatively new journey into the world of gluten-free cooking. While I do not purport to be an expert on this topic, I'm happy to share good ideas and products as I come across them.
My hope for this blog is that it will provide you with new ways and the confidence to welcome more people to your table to feed not only their stomachs, but perhaps their souls, as well.
