I wear many hats: Mother, Cook, Counselor, Ally, Advocate, Researcher, and now, Resource. Cooking has been my thing for as long as I can remember. Playing with flavors, adding a pinch of the unexpected and a dash of je ne sais quoi, I am both a chemist and an artist in my kitchen/lab. Little did I know when I took my first cooking classes at age 12 that it would pave the way to lifelong culinary adventures, both professional and personal. My experience in gourmet food sales, catering, recipe development, and working as the assistant to two celebrated chefs confirmed my belief that with fresh, quality ingredients, good food need not be fussy. And years spent in the housewares industry developed my keen eye for a great product. These experiences, paired with my appreciation of a good bargain, are central to who I am and what I do in the kitchen.
While celiac disease is the diagnosis that inspired Nutmeg & Grace, it is not the first time I have had to double-down and learn everything possible when faced with a major health issue. As a patient or care provider, I have faced diagnoses including ADHD, autoimmune disease, cancer, chronic migraine and concussion. I have learned how to ask questions and find answers, move past med-speak into the real-life application. On the road to wellness, I do what needs to be done to ensure as smooth a path as possible. With celiac it was easy, in part because the remedy was something I could contribute – by changing how I cook, the products we use, and implementing new processes to pave the way back to health.
My experience and love of cooking and exploring world cuisines eased our transition when my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. Changes had to be made but our standards weren’t compromised! Since 2019 I have been testing, tweaking, and retooling our family favorites on our way to becoming a family living life fully, gluten-free!