Get paid to play with your food, become a Food Stylist.

Remember when your parents were trying to teach you good table manners and would insist you stop playing with your food, well this year I scratched all politeness and proper etiquette and got my hands dirty with food styling. Who would have thought that a person could find a lucrative career and get paid to essentially play with their food.

This winter, I had an amazing and rare chance to work with Roland Foods, a 75 year old leader of imported specialty food items located in New York City. The gourmet food purveyor sells everything from infused oils to capers to exotic grains and most recently expanded their culinary product line by offering an extensive assortment of fine Italian pastries including; cakes & tortes, single serve desserts, tiramisu, crostatas, cream puffs, éclairs, crepes, blini, etc.

As many of my readers know, I thrive on prospects of creativity especially involving food- and pair that with any type of detailed organizational planning and I am all over the project like white on rice. I was specifically brought in as a Pastry Chef to plan, design, and execute plated items for a 2 part frozen product line training video series for internal sales people and distributors.

Prior to arriving in The Big Apple, I was passionately consumed with menu planning, inventory lists and my favorite, plate design for a solid two weeks. This innovation stint wrapped with the development of approximately 40 plus uniquely designed plated desserts as well as the execution of a dozen or so pastry accents and garnishes. With my Mise en Place (French kitchen term for “putting things in place” or set up preparation) packed I was ready for the City.

It was early morning when I boarded the train, come to think of it this was actually the first time I had ever taken a train.  None the less, it turned out to be a great experience because I sat next to a lovely young lady named Pearl, she was about 22 years old, her face was framed by collar bone length dirty-blonde tendrils accented with piercing turquoise eyes, she was on school vacation and headed on her way back home to visit family. We must have talked for the entire couple hour ride; we conversed about her interest in theatre and wildlife rescue, my passion for all things food, etc. The conversation flowed easily as though I had known her forever and certainly made the time pass quickly. If the ride up was a predictor of how my overall trip would be I knew that things were going to be no less than amazing.

My hunch was spot-on, finding the hotel and check in was a breeze and the only struggle I faced was walking 5 blocks in the wrong direction. I chalked it up to a rookie mistake, skipped lunch so I wouldn’t be late, luckily I was so excited that the adrenaline tuned out the hunger pangs and then I headed straight to the set to meet the crew.

The studio was an absolutely incredible sky lit loft in historic Chelsea, Manhattan (see photo below), and is home to a local prop stylist whose pantry is like a dream come true for any foodie or home entertainer. After wiping the admiration of my face, I was pleasantly greeted by a Film Director, Set Stylist, Public Relations Director, Chef Trainers, and multiple Videographers, all cheerful, artistic and as eager as I to get started on this project.

Collaboratively, in a laid back manner, we spent a few hours ironing out the details for the next day’s shoot such as plate selection, prop choices and so on and then it was time for dinner and off to bed.

The next morning a Sales Rep and I headed down a few blocks towards the studio, this time with much more confidence, breakfast filled bellies and in the right direction- certainly a great way to start the day. First we went over to Whole Foods Market to obtain any supplies and ingredients that I hadn’t schlepped all the way from Massachusetts. The shopping experience felt like we were contestants on Supermarket Sweep as we divided the grocery list and concord the task of getting everything on our list with-in half an hour. While hastily checking out, I was told that Katie Holmes lived right above the Market- a somewhat interesting tidbit of information not found in OK! Magazine.

Once we returned, in what I was convinced to be record time, everyone got right to work. I set up my stations and slowly but surely pumped out numerous plated desserts for filming often times relying on patience when having to re-style and in some cases replicate dishes multiple times because of the heat from the lights, timing restrictions, issues with the script, angle of shots, make up, etc. You name it and it could be a potential threat to the integrity of such a sensitive and perishable medium.

Here are a few select photos of the final product:



Over the next few days while carrying out full on execution of over 30 dishes, I was quickly reminded of my previous stretch in professional kitchens and the memory brought with it a sense of appreciation, respect and gratitude for what was and what now is.

You see, this type of work is an extreme transition from my current office position as a Career Advisor, it required not only mental stamina of innovation, problem solving and extreme multi-tasking but the physical endurance of standing for up to 15 hours, again not your typical desk job. My back and feet sure knew the difference; and even so, I would do it a thousand more times because it was a phenomenal opportunity to be held to high expectations in the presence of such engaged and driven individuals working for a company that fully values the talents of its people. And with that said, this involvement made my devotion of working for Johnson & Wales University grow even stronger because without the education and self-assurance taught by many of the Instructors, Staff and Faculty I would not have been prepared or as successful in such a situation.

I often remind my students the importance of passion and loving what you do when it comes to your career, particularly in the food service industry because it can be extremely fun and rewarding but on the flip side tremendously demanding. I like that about this industry, you have to be tough and if you don’t step it up you have to step out. In a way, the culinary and pastry arts world is like New York City, if you make it there you can make it anywhere. They make you feel alive, inspiration is everywhere and my advice to anyone seeking to try something new or step out of their comfort zone is to just do it, don’t wait for things to happen you have to make them happen. Regret nothing! In the words of Robert Schuller, What would you do if you know you could not fail?


Check out some of the Roland video's featuring the food I styled: http://www.youtube.com/user/rolandfoods/videos?view=0

Make it happen,

Kristin

MBA Thesis: Whole Foods Market

Hello friends & family,

I had to share this with you because I am super excited, my master's thesis on Whole Foods Market was not only published in a Scholarly journal but it was downloaded almost 3,000 times in the last few months! A special thanks to everyone who participated in the interview portion and allowed me to pick their brains :)

It was the first class of Research & Analysis when my Professor explained what the term project would entail, we could either work in groups or individually to accomplish the goal of identifying an industry related issue and detail proven solutions or strategies implemented by prosperous companies. He continued to explain that although not mandatory, if you work individually and do a stellar job that students could have the opportunity to try and publish our research through an academic online journal. My first thought was, should I really take on all this extra work- at the time I was working a full time job, planning a wedding and also enrolled in the Entrepreneurship course in which I was elected the company CEO and led a team in the completion of an extensive business plan- or could I take the easier route and work in a group submitting only what was expected. I pondered this decision for a few days and ultimately decided that if I ever planned to pursue a doctorate or conduct any future research this would give me great practice and expand my resume, academically. Although it seemed and realistically was ambitious for me to pull this together, looking back I am glad I stepped up to the plate.

Over the following ten weeks, I buried my head in the research and put my analytical skills to the test. When I started the thirty something page paper, I didn't realize how much I would enjoy the actual process of research; observing, interviewing and sifting through endless publications to extract only the information that was pertinent to my topic. The gratification when you finally find the excerpt that clearly explains and supports your point of view is similar to the feeling you get when shopping at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, an antique shop or stop by a yard sale. You spend all that time rummaging through endless items and eventually you find that something special that makes it all worthwhile. Not to mention, most gratifying of all is when you successfully publish something worthy to others, it gave me confidence that someday I just might have what it takes to pursue a career as a teacher.

I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed compiling it:

Abstract

Employee retention can be a challenge for Human Resources in today’s business climate, especially in retail food service occupations due to long and sometimes unpredictable hours, limited benefits, and growth potential to name a few. Despite the obstacles, Whole Foods Market has been able to overcome such limitations allowing employees flourish and as a result have set an industry benchmark for reducing voluntary turnover. This case study research is an examination of Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey and his modern approach to leadership and its effect on employee retention. The purpose of the research is to examine the association between employee retention and modern leadership practices. Primary data was collected from observational field research and qualitative interviews with six Whole Foods Market personnel whom currently or have previously held positions throughout various departments within the company. To identify the perceptions of employees, detailed notes were transcribed, collected and evaluated. The study provided a number of key findings of successful practices: (1) establish a mission and values driven culture; (2) provide a thriving environment in which your employees can be their true selves; (3) empower employees by encouraging innovation and dispersed decision making; (4) offer individual and team incentives for ideal behavior and performance; and (5) promote growth opportunities both vertically and laterally within the company. The conclusion answered the primary research question and argues for emphasis on the role of modern leadership approaches such as servant, values and decentralized leadership theory to improve retention efforts.

Employee retention is of growing concern for Human Resources regardless of business initiatives to reduce turnover costs and strengthen competitive advantages. Due to the nature of food service, hospitality and retail industries including low wages, long working hours, unfair healthcare, inadequate benefits, insufficient training & development in addition to limited job growth, employee dissatisfaction and voluntary turnover is on the rise. The importance of this subject is to be able to provide collected qualitative data in the form of best practices in support of foodservice retail companies so they too are able to retain valuable human capitol in a similar fashion as Whole Foods Market has been able to do. This case study research investigation will evaluate the effects of John Mackey’s approach to reduce voluntary turnover and improve employee retention at Whole Foods Market as seen through the eyes of current and past employees of the company.

 

The objectives of this case study research are:

· Review and dissect literature on employee retention, turnover and job satisfaction

· Examine the non-traditional leadership concepts, culture and philosophies of Whole Foods Market, honing in on Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Mackey

· Interpret observation and qualitative results of interviews conducted with current and past employees (Team Members) of Whole Foods Market

· Study factors that contribute to a sustainable work force and strong organizational mission, values and culture

To read the full copy of my research paper, you may download it here:

http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/mba_student/8/

<3 Kristin

NYC- What "culinary" dreams are made of!

I had an amazing opportunity to travel to New York City to meet with some of the most amazing talented and award winning Chef's in the world. We toured Restaurant Daniel, DBGB (both part of Dinex Group), Public and most exciting Jean Georges. In addition we met with the founders of Culintro, a trade organization that will be explained later in this post. Each restaurant group owns companies on a national and international scale and besides the many other accolades- most prestigiously the Dinex Group and Jean Georges both own and operate at least one, Three Michelin star rated restaurant.

What is a Michelin Star you ask? To chefs and restaurateurs in the fine dining business- this star rating is everything. The Michelin guide awards one to three stars to a small number of restaurants worldwide that exemplify outstanding quality. Keep in mind, this type of rating is rare and many Chefs’ spend their entire careers striving to be one star, let alone three. To put things in perspective, there are only seven restaurants in NYC to hold a three star rating. (Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Daniel, Eleven Madison Park, Jean Georges, Le Bernadin, Masa & Per Se).

 5 criteria for awarding stars:

1.       Quality of the ingredients

2.       Flair and skill in preparing them and combining   flavors

3.      The chef’s personality as revealed through the cuisine

4.       Value for money

5.      The consistency of culinary standards

Dinex group is the restaurant group owned by Chef Daniel Boulud. They have eight award winning restaurants in NYC as well as throughout the world. Restaurant Daniel specifically is a French Brigade style; think military like obedience only with knives, recipes and the best ingredients found in the world. As we explored what restaurant folks call BOH, or the back of the house, I was in absolute amazement as we got an infrequent opportunity to see behind the magical curtain which revealed the cleanest kitchen I have ever seen in my life. The floors perfectly polished as were the highly orchestrated staff and copper pots that hung over the center stage framing pure culinary art and a professional three Michelin star rated kitchen. One of the most interesting aspects of the kitchen was a second floor “Chef’s table” or private dining room that overlooked the open kitchen belonging to none other than Chef Boulud himself. I cannot even begin to estimate the salary or stature you would need to be invited to dine as a guest in such a prestigious space; I suppose I was lucky enough just to see it.

We were fortunate to receive a gift during our departure of the restaurant from the charismatic, well fashioned and articulate human resources manager, an autographed copy of Chef Boulud’s “Letter’s to a young chef”. This book is mesmerizing, simple to read and has insightful advice for emerging chefs or any craft related profession. Daniel Boulud is as brilliant as he is gifted in both the food trade and art of motivation.

The book outlines the trials of an upscale kitchen and descriptively identifies different skills needed to become a successful cook (and maybe restaurant owner). It is clear that being a triumphant leader in any profession is not a miracle, but a combination of hard work, passion and lifelong dedication.

Next we were off for lunch at DBGB, a more casual restaurant that serves up over 14 varieties of house-made sausages as well as gourmet hamburgers. I was ambitious and ordered the 3 course prix fix lunch special. For starters we enjoyed the roasted mushroom soup with toasted barley, porcini, and crispy gruyere fondue and advanced to the “Piggie Burger” which is a 6 oz beef patty topped with bbq pulled pork, jalapeno mayonnaise and lettuce on a cheddar bun with mustard-vinegar slaw & fries- am I making you hungry yet? At this point my Chef jacket was bursting at the seams so I decided to take dessert to go. Although the ice cream sundae was highly recommended, I opted for a transportation friendly option of black forest cake: brandied cherries, whipped crème fraiche and chocolate chip cherry ice cream (more like a sauce by the time I devoured it and for the record, I wasn’t disappointed on my drive home). All this food for a great price of only $35 without tax and tip, a fraction of what would have been expected at its luxurious counterpart, Daniel.

Our busy schedule led us next to Public, where the ladies of Culintro gave us a tour. Culintro facilitates the placement of passionate, hard-working culinary students with chefs in New York’s most renowned restaurants. One of the biggest advantages students have with Culintro is the access to the extensive network that they have and the option to attend hosted networking events to meet interns and Chefs from partnered sites. They work with award winning companies and to highlight a few- Perilla with Top Chef winner, Chef Harold Doeterle, Mandarin Oriental with Top Chef contestant and Johnson & Wales University Alumni Chef Matthew Petersen and Corton’s Chef Paul Liebrandt. Another recommendation for Chef’s to be or proclaimed foodies is to watch HBO’s documentary special “A Matter of Taste” documenting Liebrandt’s turbulent, and eventually triumphant journey through the kitchens of New York City.

So back to Public, this is part of a restaurant design firm AvroKO Hospitality Group. Public is an Australian Fusion restaurant with Chef Brad Farmerie at the helm, his menu is inspired by the Chef’s travels serving anything from wild game to kangaroo. His combinations are somewhat daring and are not inspired by the faint of heart but none the less they are technically innovative and blur the lines of what gourmet cuisine is and can be.

Last but certainly not least, was our visit to Jean Georges which is located in Manhattan on the lobby level of the Trump International Hotel overlooking Central Park and is named after its award winning classical French Chef and owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

The NYC restaurant is divided into two dining areas, the Jean Georges dining room and Nougatine, a slightly more casual dining room that serves the public and guests of the Trump International Hotel. My Director was lucky enough to spot Adam Sandler while we were in the lobby waiting to meet the staff. To our surprise we were greeted by not any staff member but Jean George himself. I needed assistance in picking my jaw up from the floor after I spotted him because it was completely unexpected, I think we were a little star struck. Our Employer Relations Director, who is rarely at a loss for words, was practically speechless. He was hospitable and offered to take pictures with us and asked his Sous Chef to provide us a tour through the well decorated establishment, a design fit for Donald Trump like standards set to impress the elite population. Impressed we were and even more so as we walked through the kitchens, catching glances of industry trade secrets just hoping to be introduced to their Executive Pastry Chef, Johnny Iuzzini.

We were able to meet him, he is really funny, charming and charismatic- all the girls were instantly crushing on him and his Jimmy Dean like swag.

New York City was a wonderful experience for which I will always be appreciative. It is certainly the city dreams are made of, there is nothing you can’t do if you remove boundaries, don’t let obstacles get in your way and challenge yourself to work hard.

Me gusta viajar: Puerto Rico

Hola Amigos!

I went to Puerto Rico for the first time with 3 of my girlfriends from high school, it was so beautiful and we had such great weather. We loved waking up to breathtaking views. As part of our morning routine, we sat together on the hotel room balcony amongst the palm trees and rainforest hillside while we sipped lattes and ate freshly picked fruit and afterward we laid out on the beach under giant umbrellas as we basked in the sun and cooled down in the turquoise wave filled waters.

We paired our relaxation with a bit of adventure as well; with kayaking at Bioluminescent Bay under the stars in Vieques, Puerto Rico. This unique bay contains up to 720,000 single-celled bioluminescent dinoflagellates per gallon of water. These half-plant, half-animal organisms emit a flash of bluish light when agitated at night. The high concentration of these creatures (Pyrodimium bahamense) can create enough light to read a book from.

After all that work and calories burned we stopped at a beachside cafe and enjoyed freshly caught, deep fried Chillo (Red Snapper) with tostones/ platenos (fried plaintain chips) dipped in ketchup- mayo (that’s what they call it, and that's what it is- A combination of equal portions of ketchup and mayonnaise.) My all time favorite was four wheeling in El Yunque Rainforest- a bit dangerous but exciting to say the least. We were able to take a bumpy ride through the mountainous hills and go swimming in a fresh river surrounded by bamboo and clay rocks, it was so refreshing and peaceful. Interestingly enough, we rode right by Daddy Yankees house, if you are unsure he is a Puerto Rican reggaetone recording artist. When we made it to the bottom of the forest- thanks to our amazing drivers’ recommendation, we enjoyed a delicious and authentic Puerto Rican lunch at Hacienda Carabali (Carabali Ranch/ Farm).

We shopped in Old San Juan on PR's Constitution Day which is similar to our Independence Day. We watched on as locals celebrated by flying kites, eating snow cones and enjoying the picturesque seaside. Brightly painted row homes, museums, churches, historic sites, blue cobble stone streets and open air cafe's make this a must see for tourists. Once again the food was and has been amazing, I was adventurous and tried a different food at every meal, whether it was Camarones (shrimp), Churascco (Skirt steak), Mahi- mahi, Mofongo (Mashed plantains), Pollo (chicken) and liked every minute of it. That same afternoon, we toured the Bacardi factory & Museum, which happens to be the world's largest rum distillery and as the tours concluded had a few delicious cocktails, I personally suggest Bacardi Dragon Berry with orange juice and a splash of pomegranate or cranberry juice. We went back to the hotel and ended the night with a dramatic fireworks display put on by the hotel.

 Puerto Rico was a culinarian delight, similar to Spanish, Cuban and Mexican cuisine; it is a unique tasty blend of Spanish, African, and American influences. In addition to my daring “try a new thing at every place” motto we found an incredible little food heaven. The Luquillo kiosks (or kioskos) is your best bet for Puerto Rican street food. This food paradise can be compared to a strip mall of souvenir shacks and restaurant shanty’s, along the beach in Luquillo. Don’t let the looks of the place detour you, the food is authentic and fantastic! They have about 50 kioskos which are very different and range in style, taste and price. You can get local fried snacks like pastelillos and empanadillas or even a traditional lunch or dinner for a lot less money than the hotels.  While in Puerto Rico we visited the following kioskos, #2 – La Parilla– Puerto Rican / Caribbean fusion and #9 – Congas by the Sea –Puerto Rican cuisine. Try any and all, I promise you will not be disappointed.

On our last day, our entertaining chauffer took us out for a night on the town. First he brought us to a beachside kiosk for a snack of grilled barbeque chicken skewers and plantains.  This snackable feast wouldn’t be complete without beer, and Puerto Rico has its own local brew. Medalla Light looks and tastes like Amstel Light, and it’s the perfect accompaniment on a hot day. Later that night, he brought us dancing a few different places. First we started off at a hip- hop club, Club response and we danced for what seemed to have been hours, followed by a cool down at an afterhours club in Isla Verde, Carolina named The Vibe Club- wouldn’t recommend it for people not from the area but we had fun. If you’re interested in the Club scene try a tourist favorite- probably a safer choice, Club Brava, “A popular haunt for tourists, locals, guest DJs, and even the occasional celebrity, Brava justly gets packed to bursting point on weekends. With a crowd that's energetic, scantily clad, and generally representative of the cities pretty people, you'll be happy you came to mingle, jiggle, and lounge at Brava.”

It was a late night, but well worth it. The next morning we flew out and headed back home. I can speak for all of us when I say we had an unforgettable time. The week of leisure, exploration, and culinary adventure will go down in history. Puerto Rico is extremely diverse with a lot to do, in just 7 seven we only traveled around the north east section of the island, so for us there would be plenty of reason to return. Being a US territory also helps with ease of travel, etc.

The culture there is so different, I guess what you expect of island life, much more laid back and at first it was tough to adjust (being from MA, I think I was born with a lack of patience) however I quickly settled in to the island pace and actually enjoyed no being in a rush with objectives and deadlines, etc. Puerto Ricans are extremely diverse in culture and race. In my opinion they are colorful, loud, fun & energetic, and they like to dance, eat, drink and be merry amongst friends and family. It's my kind of place to vacation, and with that description makes me wonder if I am part Puerto Rican (maybe in attitude) and gives me understanding to why I enjoyed myself so much.  Imagine a beachside haven with Salsa music and that’s Puerto Rico. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the Spanish language and Puerto Rican life.

 I have never taken a 2 week in a row vacation and I must admit I loved it! I dream of being a full time vacationer. But turns out there are no positions available that meet my salary requirements and being a "vacationer" is a very competitive job- who doesn't want to do that full time? In reality at least I get a few weeks a year to make some of my traveling dreams come true.

Until my next adventure, Adios!

To destination wedding or to not destination wedding- that is the question...

Now that the engagement excited has quited my mind has been in overdrive thinking of ideas for our wedding. Naturally after spending 3 years employed at the best catering company in Attleboro, MA & Newport, RI my expectations for a wedding are pretty high. However not being part of the Vanderbilt, Astor, Oelrichs, and Kennedy family has posed some financial realities and as a result I have adjusted my ideas to fit our humbling budget in other words, as my mother always says " I have wine taste, with beer money". So with that beer money I will at least have a keg, thank you very much. Luckily I am very resourceful and creative so will try to squeeze as much value into ideas as possible.

At first the ideas were running through my head like crazy and it was so exciting to join The Knot and view the million and five ideas other brides had considered, watch Say Yes to the Dress on TLC like I could even afford the Klienfields experience of dresses starting at $3,000 dollars, and critique the show 4 Weddings like it would be a simple task to execute any of those weddings, but a girl can dream! I get energized at thinking, I could do that for half the price! A true DIY-er at heart and head. Exept one small detail with out the budget, we are now talking more work, sweat equity of coordination, details, decisions, decisions, decisions- AHHH!

Slowly the excitement of planning turned into a feeling of being overwhelmed at all of the decisions that would need to be made in order to pull this thing off successfully- within our budget. Just to give you perspective, I was never one of those girls who had dreamed of my wedding dress when I was 5, or had all of my bridesmaids picked out since 13, or knew exactly what my Finance would wear- even before I had the Fiance. I never got caught up in the Cinderella like hype, and the closest I have come to thinking through this stuff was working at the catering company. However it was always looked at objectively, like I love that creative idea, not I love that creative idea..for my wedding. So all of this wedding stuff  is newly thought out and I am already exhausted after only a few weeks.
When I worked for the catering company, I had been invited to a Co-workers destination wedding in Jamaica and it was wonderful! Simple, refreshing, and fun. Come to think of it, that's all I really want. Fun, family, friends and the ability to do some traditional things such as, pick out my dress with my friends, make invitations, favors, etc. all preferably without having to take out a small loan. That is when the idea of a destination wedding for our wedding popped into my head, with that option I can still do the few things I really want without all of the decisions and cost.

Destination weddings have many perks:
- Simplify planning details
- Beautiful location in a vacation like setting
- Plenty of things to do and see
- Reduce the guest list
- Keep costs of wedding low
- Guests do not have to buy you gifts

Destination weddings have some drawbacks:
- Less customization in planning (not too bad if you don't mind simple)
- Flight & Accommodation costs for guests
- Reduce guest list, some key people may not be able to come

It's a tough decision, because although it would be less expensive on Mark and I- we are talking under $6,000 for a wedding and honeymoon versus a local wedding for a minimum of $10,000 which does not include a honeymoon which most likely would be a few grand more- The math and choice seem easy. One major downside is that our guests would have to fork over money to pay for the trip, and that is assuming they will be available to travel as many have children and may have prior engagements.

Our parents were not thrilled about the idea at first but I think it is growing on them, I guess it is still somewhat nontraditional so it may take a while and I really hope they are on board because what is a wedding without your parents. After thinking through the idea, Mark & I decided that a Destination Wedding would be a fabulous way to go on vacation with our friends and family while having the opportunity to be married in such an amazing and beautiful place. A few of our closest friends have wanted to go on a trip in a few years anyhow, to celebrate our 30th birthdays and other celebrations they have had throughout the year. With proper planning, we figured we would have the wedding no earlier than a year and a half from now to allow time for people (and ourselves) to save money, gather the necessary paperwork and make arraignments for dogs and babies :) If guests are unable to attend the destination we completely understand, and will most likely have a casual backyard reception either before or after the wedding so we can all celebrate together.

Stay tuned for the location and additional details...

We are engaged!!!

Sorry gentlemen- ladies! 5 wonderful years together and Mark & I will soon be off the market! (Well technically we are already off the market, but you get my drift it is even MORE official now).

It was just like any other day, It was April 28th, a typical Thursday after work when Mark proposed and I had absolutely no idea, well no idea he chose that day to propose. Thanks to my soon to be mother-in law Joan, who a few weeks prior to the engagement accidentally gave me her camera to figure out a function- instead showing me top secret photos of the engagement ring in which I played completely cool and did not led on to the fact I saw them. The tiny snafu gave me some insight that I was going to be engaged rather shortly, and I had assumed knowing Mark and his traditional style that he would have selected May 12th, our 5 year anniversary which was only a few weeks from the viewing of the photo's to pop the question. You know what they say about assumptions.

Mark had injured himself, a torn maniscus, while playing softball and was out of work for a few weeks with plenty of time on his hands and one morning had asked me what I would like for dinner the following night, now not to brag but I really have myself a wonderful man who happens to be a pretty decent cook and does sweet things like this for me often so I was the least bit suspicious and appreciatively selected something out of a cooking magazine, I chose Asian stir fried beef with snow peas and carrots in a light gingery sauce served over steamed white rice- Had I known it was my engagement dinner I may have gone with lobster :)

It is the night of the "engagement", I get home from work, probably looking like a hot mess- to a clean house, fresh smelling boyfriend, and a delicious dinner waiting on the table next to a vase filled with the most beautiful burnt orange- pink roses- my favorite! As I finish enjoying my dinner, as if it were a normal night after work Mark goes into the other room and says he has a surprise for me- I automatically think something sweet of course and he brings out a table spread of chocolate fondue, right down to strawberries, marshmallows, bananas and angel food cake, he sure knows what makes me happy. As I am stuffing my face with dessert, he goes into the other room- I seriously thought he was going to the bathroom, like I said it was a normal after work night, but instead as I turn, there he was on one knee with a smile ear-to-ear with the most precious solitaire diamond ring that I have ever seen in my life and asked me to be his wife.

Funny thing is after I said yes (the title of the bolg post gives it away) he spills the beans and tells me he has had the ring since January and in a moment of excitement I blurt out "I know!!" which was followed by "what you knew!!" and I rambled to try and get myself out of that one and mumble "well, I mean, ya know, umm, I'm just so excited! He laughed and then said, "you saw the picture that night my mother was over here didn't you?", "Yes", I replied. Can't start our engagement off by lying.

He later tells me that he couldn't keep it from me any longer and that trying to hide it was becoming way to challenging. It was perfect, unexpected, simple and meaningful. I am looking forward to our journey together and will keep you all posted on Wedding plans.

Foodphoric: Confessions of a cultural food fusionist

food: Culturally uniting deliciousness

eu·phor ic: A feeling of great happiness or well-being

Gastronomy…Gastro what? The first time I heard of someone studying Gastronomy I thought he wanted to be a “stomach” doctor or surgeon. Turns out, gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food & culture and the study of good eats. If you think about it , food is really one of the few things all people have in common, and can be used as a way to connect and unite human beings.


As a child I was surrounded by cultural diversity.  Reflecting back, I have really come to appreciate having been exposed to cultural differences and similarities so early as it has been such an influential pillar of my personal development. Growing up a blond haired, blue eyed all American girl during the 90's, being raised by a step father who was African American and mother who was a mix of of Portuguese and Irish decent was not always been easy to explain or have traditional people understand, but it has experienced me in foods of the world, racism,  discrimination, respect and the acceptance of and passion for equality.


Kenny, who I refer to as my "old" step father (my mother has since remarried Warren, my "new" step father) played a huge role in my Culinary and cultural foundation. I can remember as far back as being 8 years old in the kitchen helping him make sweet potato pie, sweet & savory grits, fried chicken, corn meal crusted sea bass, collard greens and of course assisting with our weekly Sunday breakfast. I even learned about an all time southern favorite, chitlins or chitterlings-  I called them chicklings, yuckie! never did try them. In addition to cooking, I also have to credit him with nurturing the little bit of rhythm I was blessed with and making me a halfway decent dancer (some positive stereo types are cool!).

My maternal family was raised in Southeastern Massachusetts, in the same area that celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse grew up in which is not surprisingly known as Little Portugal. They always cooked American as well as traditional Portuguese dishes like our family favorites including rice pudding, kale soup, Malasada or Portugese Sweet Bread, Shrimp Mozambique, Soupage, Linguica with little necks, etc.

Every year as a child, I looked forward to attending the "festas" aka festivals in the area where we could dance and enjoy Portuguese traditions and culture- Till this day, I faithfully attend the annual local festivals  and enjoy my Caciola sandwich.

FYI: These companies make delicious Portuguese  sausage:

http://www.gasparssausage.com/ourproducts.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/michaels-provision-co-fall-river

My paternal family are from Rhode Island and have roots traced back to England and Sweden and throughout my growing up produced foods to reflect that European heritage. Of course we had our American favorites mmm chocolate disgust (chocolate parfait) but the cuisine was well rounded culturally to include lox and bagels, olive stuffed celery, boiled dinner of ham, cabbage, carrots and potatoes, gingerbread & butter cookies as well as others.

Looking back through my non- traditional upbringing, It is no surprise that I am interested in Gastronomy- I am a living Gastronomist with a degree from the University of Life.

Get out there enjoy culture!!