Chef in San Diego, California

Hello! I am a proud mom of four and I was a homemaker for over 18 years. While at home, I cooked nearly every meal for my family. I have been vegan, I have been a vegetarian, but I am currently a "flexitarian" as life with 4 children with different culinary tastes can make meals challenging. I love tried and true recipes, but I also love the excitement of new recipes and the creativity involved in new creations from whatever is on hand. Although, I've never been dairy or gluten free, I am familiar with alternative to milk and wheat products (I have worked with coconut flour, buckwheat, almond milk, coconut milk, yogurt, etc.). Two of my favorite recipes include one my children adore and one that they would rather let my finish off as it's somewhat spicy (which is fine by me!). The first is called "lentil pottage". It's a very simple recipe, the hardest part is chopping all those onions (bring on the goggles!). The other challenge to creating lentil pottage is the wait time. But it's well worth the wait! Yellow onions, olive oil, lentils, vegetable broth, salt and pepper are the only ingredients. My carnivores request it often. They love it even more with ground beef added. The second recipe of note is my personal favorite: Spicy Yellow Thai Curry with Potatoes. The recipe doesn't call for kale, but it's my favorite part. The recipe calls for chicken, but I never add it. I learned from this recipe that not all potatoes are created equally. The kale and potatoes need to hold up in a curry sauce, and they do! Regular Russet potatoes don't cut it. Spinach won't cut it. It must be white potatoes and kale (or bok choy). I have learned a lot from trial and error in the kitchen. I love to learn and try new things! I love to work with fresh ingredients. One of the reasons I usually use kale (over bok choy) is that I grow it. I also grow rosemary (great with potatoes), basil (great with nearly anything), fresh eggs from my pair of chickens, heirloom tomatoes, and cilantro (a personal favorite). The farmer's market is a great resource for the fresh produce. Of course, organic is preferred. Thanks for reading a bit about me! I hope to work with you making fresh and delicious meals :)