Once upon a time, I worked at Vogue Magazine. The job required beautiful clothes and shoes that clicked when I walked. I ate at restaurants almost every night. My spotless kitchen served as a closet for beverages.
In 2001, I had my first baby. I said goodbye to my life at Vogue and happily became a stay at home mom. The reality soon hit that I was now responsible for coming up with 21 meals a week for my family. I went from being a capable executive to feeling paralyzed at the thought of what to make for dinner. Even when I managed to put dinner together, it was overwhelming to me that I would have to wake up and do it all over again the next day.
Providing meals for my family became such a stressful part of my life, the last thing I expected was to fall in love with cooking. The first step in changing my culinary world was discovering The Barefoot Contessa. I learned by cooking my way through Ina Garten’s books. I loved being in the kitchen and making food for my family and friends. I took tons of classes over the years and soon, the least trafficked room in my house became my sanctuary and the nucleus of my home. It is the place my husband and two children gather with me to share good food and make memories together.
Once the kids are tucked in at night, I can be found in my bed reading cookbooks, food blogs, and researching recipes. Julia Child once said, “If you can read you can cook.” I can tell you it’s true. Sure, I’ve had lots of disasters in the kitchen and ended up ordering pizza in a pinch, but I’ve also had a lot of delicious success along the way. I hope you get inspired by this blog and realize that you really can cook. Just remember to cook what you love and put a lot of love into what you cook.
I welcome you to Every Kitchen Tells A Story.
xo Leslie
PHOTO CREDIT: Sophie Jacobson