I come from a long line of people for whom food is a passion. My grandmother owned a superb restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland. My mother had a cooking school and then a successful kitchen shop in Toronto.
When we first came to Toronto from Scotland we were astounded by the lack of good food. Scottish home cooking was always outstanding. I can still taste the wonderful Scottish baking and the top quality domestic ingredients like Tay salmon or Aberdeen Angus beef. But in Toronto there was a distinct lack of good food in the home or restaurants. My mother took on the challenge and opened one of the first cooking schools in Toronto where, as a girl, I was often her very unwilling assistant.
My first career had nothing to do with food. I trained and worked as a journalist. Later I became a grade school teacher. But my underlying passion for food was always there. I loved to cook and entertain but I had no formal training.
However when I had my own family, we moved to London, England and I was fortunate enough to attend the famed Cordon Bleu Cookery School. With my newfound skills I became a cooking teacher with my own school and over the years have used my journalism background to become a successful food writer and author.
I love food. I love to eat, to cook, and to teach through my articles and books. I believe in simplicity in food but taste is always paramount. Recipes do not need to be complicated or time consuming to give you great pleasure.
Life and food are never static.
My latest book, Flavour Principles, features the acerbic wit of wine expert Beppi Crosariol and stunning photography by Ryan Szulc. For a collection of delectable recipes with extraordinary wine pairings, pick up a copy (published by HarperCollins) this October.
