I’m a food obsessed amateur chef who would cook for a small gathering of friends nearly every evening, time and energy permitting. Luckily, my friends and family are adventurous eaters who are enthusiastic about my kitchen experiments.

My palate is inspired by my California upbringing (year-round farmer’s markets [sigh],  abundant and good Mexican food, and artichokes the size of your head) and my extremely talented vegan mother who cooks most days and has her own blog and Website she produces with my dad. She is the ultimate hostess, and inspires me because she is fearless in the kitchen. She will experiment on company, cook for huge crowds, and on at least one occasion has demonstrated her ability to put out a kitchen fire.

Other influences include Mark Bittman; Claudia Roden; Ana Sortun; Rick Bayless; Joanne Chang; and 101 cookbooks.

Some of my favorites for cooking and eating include artichokes (any size, any preparation), muffins, fennel, jalapenos, roasted pork (sorry, vegan mom!), pickled anything, salads, dates, ancho chilies, roasted tomatoes, tacos, chickpeas, lentils, ginger, oranges, peanut butter, and bitter green vegetables.

When I’m not cooking or planning my next meal (or doing silly things to burn calories), I like looking for industrial antiques with my husband, finding new places to eat in Boston, urban hiking, pulling weeds, knitting, and reading fiction.