About

I grew up eating black licorice. I likely tasted it even before I tasted chocolate. My mother used to buy it every time she went to the grocery store, and thankfully, she shared it with us kids. She always had a stash of it somewhere in the house, so I grew up eating it and appreciating its unusual flavor. 

 

I am always surprised to run across people who dislike it, and I can only attribute that to the fact that they probably didn’t have a mom who adored it as I did. Poor them because this flavor comes across within many other herbs, such as basil and tarragon. I was that weird kid in the old-fashioned candy store—forget about the cherry or grape—I wanted the horehound! I not only love licorice, but I also love fennel, fennel seed, anise seed, cicely, star anise, Thai basil, and my most recent anise flavor profile herbal finding, anise hyssop. Being exposed early to this candy explains not only my total love of the anise flavor profile but also my love for nearly all herbs. I eventually graduated to fall in love with mint, thyme, basil, sage, and so many more! Which is what brings me here.

 

My mother was half Irish, so I was raised on straightforward meals, primarily meat and potatoes. After all, it was what she grew up with. Her grandmother lived by the rule of “a pinch of this” and “a handful of that.” She did well with that method. The test of her methodology was that no one could get close to her Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe when she passed away. (It was commented on that first holiday without her that the dressing tasted like cement!)

 

My father’s mother had a very different story. She was French and was quite proud of it. She worked as a cafeteria worker in the San Francisco school system and dearly loved cooking. She would enroll in gourmet cooking classes during summer breaks to learn many cuisines. We were often the guinea pigs of her learning when she invited us for dinner to display her latest knowledge of what she’d learned in her schooling. She was a significant influence on me!

 

I began reading about food at a very young age. I would check out cookbooks from the library at the tender age of eight. I loved looking at the photographs! Before too many years, I began baking. I learned through reading that whole wheat flour was much healthier than white, so I started baking bread for the family—no more ‘Wonder Bread’ for us! The truth is one of the main reasons I love cooking food is because I like knowing what’s in it. 

 

I was fortunate also to be born and raised in San Francisco, which exposed me to many types of cuisines—having an open palate is downright fun! Then, in my late thirties, I moved to Hawai’i, further opening my taste buds to include powerful Asian influences and tropical flavors. I was there for 28 years, and my years there still color my perspective on food. 

 

I currently live in Vancouver, Washington, with my husband and my cat Momo, where I am fortunate to have the space for a garden. Upon moving into my home, I started an herb garden before anything else because, over the years, I’ve learned that fresh herbs bring out the best in any cuisine. I feel fortunate to live in a Mediterranean climate where many beautiful things grow. 

 

I hope you enjoy my musings and recipes in this space and will consider buying my book, “Simply Herbaceous!”

Cookbooks—There are lots of ‘Little Free Libraries’ in Vancouver. I’m always thrilled to find cookbooks in them on my walks. 

 

Cats—I’d be a crazy cat lady if I had more than one.

 

Old stuff—for whatever reason, I often prefer older to newer. I like a sense of history in the things around me.

 

Dahlias—I love almost all flowers, but dahlias hold a special place in my heart. I’m growing a nice variety of them in my garden.

 

Pansies—so many gorgeous colors, and they’re edible, too! 

 

Estate Sales—I’ve found more great photo props and cookbooks there than anywhere else. This treasure hunt is available almost every weekend.