About the Author

I began my love of cooking before the age of 5. I baked my first cookie when I was three and a half years old. It was a giant sugar cookie with M&Ms on it. I still remember the sugary, bready taste.

I’ve been baking and cooking most of my life. Now that my grandmother’s gone — she was a sublime cook — I feel like when I’m in the kitchen, I’m channeling her energy.

O.K. I admit it. Sometimes I’m something of a lazy cook — I don’t like to put too much work into making a spectacular meal — but then, sometimes I’m not. For example, I have made Naan from scratch — but never again. My arms ached for days! However, I will put the extra work in to making a Büche de Noel, because it is so worth it.

I’m also a tinkerer — it is a rare recipe that leaves my kitchen prepared exactly as instructed. I can’t help myself. I leave out ingredients I don’t like (bell pepper and eggplant top the list) and often feel that recipes just don’t call for enough garlic, so I add a clove or four.

I have a passion for food that tastes good. I just can’t stomach a mediocre cookie, when a darn good one is so easy to make. Life is just too short for mediocre food.