I was cooking before I was old enough to be in the profession. Having been raised on a farm in Illinois, I learned a lot about growing, preparing, canning, and preserving food. It was the catalyst for my life-long love affair with food and sharing it with people. I have a degree in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona. My passion for cooking blended well with my desire to travel, taking me from California down to New Orleans and out to Cape Cod. During my travels I learned from a variety of great chefs and cooks from very diverse backgrounds. Sharing stories and dishes is a common thread that binds us together as people and lets us celebrate our differences at the same time.