Hi! I’m Heather, and I like to cook. The above picture is what happens when you take a girl like me to The French Laundry. And that’s just the beginning. Wanna know more?
I’m a Southern girl at heart and by accent, although the latter has unfortunately faded somewhat. I grew up in Eastern North Carolina, where the barbecue sauce smells like vinegar because it’s the real deal. Going ‘home’ means eating a hella lotta fried chicken, cornbread, pulled pork & hushpuppies. Sweet tea to chase it all down? You betcha.
A couple of years after college, I decided it was career time, and so to grad school I went. And since I like the “go big or go home” idea, we (the Hubs aka Chris – boyfriend at the time, our 2 cats, and me) moved to Chicago, where the hot dogs come with tomatoes and the pizzas are cooked in cake pans. Thanks to Timmy O’Tooles, the road to becoming a genetic counselor was paved with pint glasses.
At some point I decided I needed one more bout of school, and in Fall ’09 I completed a year-long culinary school program at Kendall College. It was time-consuming and challenging, but oh-so-fun. What have I done with it? Cooked a lot, that’s what. Oh, and I started this blog. (Also, my jeans are a bit tighter.) But one day, one day I’m opening up a B&B in Napa – wait for it.
Culinary School
A couple of Almost 8 months ago (!), we bid Chicago adieu and our journey continued west – we landed in San Francisco, where sourdough bread is plentiful, oysters are minutes-fresh, and local means next door. While saying goodbye to Chicago was nearly impossible, we are slowly finding our way around a beautiful new area filled with glorious food, awesome people, and wine galore. I think we’re going to be We’re doing just fine ;).
The Nitty-Gritty:
Cameras? Last year, I finally procured a digital SLR (Pentax K-x). Even so, I have to say that lighting is more important than a good camera when it comes to food photography. Every so often I’ll still break out the i-Phone instead of the big daddy, because I hate being that person in the restaurant with the honkin’ camera.
Recipes? They aren’t all original, that’s for sure. I read too many food magazines and food blogs and own way too many cookbooks to not use those recipes, so I cook from recipes as ideas and adjust as I go – and I give credit where credit’s due. Whenever possible, I cook what’s in season, and try to shop local and organic. But sometimes, a girl wants asparagus in the winter and butternut squash in the summer, and every so often I cave in, too. Don’t judge.
What do I like other than cooking? I like my cat. I like my bike. I like wine, porters, stouts, and most ales. I like wearing pants (most of the time, at least). I like to travel. I like taking pictures of things. I like my friends and family. I like mountains. I like headbands. I like writing. I like sleeping in socks. I like you reading here about me. I especially like blog comments.
What do I not like? I don’t like to shave (but I still do it at least monthly). I don’t like being in the ocean (but I still scubaed once). I don’t like cleaning the stove. I don’t like driving at night in the rain. I don’t like wrinkled sheets. I don’t like lager. I don’t like layovers. I don’t like people who text and drive. I don’t like spam (the “meat” kind and the junk mail kind).
Want to keep up with my kitchen productions and other adventures? You’ve got options! Sign up for the “post email” option on the main page, and I’ll email you every time I post, which is usually twice once a week. You can also follow me on twitter, become a fan on Facebook (posts updated regularly) or subscribe to the RSS feed. See? Options. Options are good. Pick one, or pick ’em all.
Questions? Comments? Leave it below or email me at hhwetzel [at] gmail [dot] com.
Happy Cookin’ Folks!