I'm a "Food Network" Chef!

I used to think a good dinner included Hamburger Helper and a salad of iceberg lettuce covered in bottled Italian dressing. Twenty years ago, Food Network did not exist. Julia Child was too complicated for me. If it wasn't marked "easy" in my beloved Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, it wasn't likely to find its way to our dinner table.

A culinary nod to my northern neighbors!

That was twenty years ago. Today, I'm a better cook. I learned from the best!

• Thanks to Anne Burrell, I learned the value of mise en place. I now prepare pots, pans, cutting boards and knives before I start cooking. AND I have learned to chop my veggies to a consistent size and shape. Should Anne ever stop by for a quick dinner, she wouldn't find rogue carrot giants floating in my soup.
• From Rachael Ray, I learned that quick meals can taste "yummo!" Thirty minutes is plenty of time to get a tasty, fresh meal to the table. Thanks to Rachael, I stock my pantry and think ahead. 
• From Giada de Laurentiis, I have learned that saying it in Italian makes it taste that much better. Come on, you agree. Say, "Insalata." Doesn't that sound better than salad? My kids crack up when I announce an Italian menu. Really.
• Alton Brown taught me the science of cooking. I understand when and why to add the baking soda. I have learned that it actually is important to preheat the oven. Oh, there's so much more. Thanks to Alton, my bread is light and airy -- or it's not. Either way, it's what it's meant to be. Delicious!
• I've always been a penny pincher, and thanks to Melissa d'Arabian, I've taken good and cheap to a whole new level. We eat better, spend less, and enjoy our home cooked meals immensely.
• Paula Deen, the quintessential southern chef helped me discover my inner southern belle. Really, butter is the secret to just about anything southern. Around our house, we say, "Butter good!" 
• And finally (though others have helped too), I'd be remiss not to mention Bobby Flay. Of course, I married his twin (just check out the picture). He inspires me to push my limits. I even use green chiles once in a while, much to my family's delight!

 

Photo by Bermudatourism.com

Photo by M. Williams Photography

While my name doesn't flash across a television screen, my family declares my cooking a success! Now... I wonder if I can find my inner designer. HGTV, here I come!