This Polaroid was taken in our tiny kitchen in Flint Michigan, the beginnings of my relationship with food,  heartfelt and rooted in family.  I’ve come a long way since boxed cake mixes! Still, Midwest roots continue to shape how I cook and gather.  I still love a slow cooked pot roast :)

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Eventually, my family moved from the inner city to a five-acre farmhouse, where growing food & flower gardens became a way of life.  The whole family shared in hand-watering and hand-harvesting.  We had a mini orchard; pears, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, and apples, grapes and a big garden & an enormous rubarb.  Summer meant trips Up North- little wild strawberries grew freely & I ate them freely! Making jams & jellies and canning with Grams, and according to her, if you can fit it in a mason jar, it can be canned, and so we did!  In Michigan we even pickle bologna! Lots of swimming in the lake and fishing with my Grandps, making fishing poles out of the maple saplings.

I even caught a 20 pound rainbow trout with a french fry!  Well... maybe 3 pounds but it was a proud day!

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My Mom would put out a big blanket under the pear tree and all the neighborhood kids would come over to shuck piles of sweet corn.  Corn on the cob in summer and freeze the rest for the season.  At dusk my 

Dad would take me on "Nature Walks" and we would investigate how well the milkweed was growing and guess how many Monarch butterflies would hatch.  Fireflies would twinkle in the sky and cicadas would be buzzing in the trees, bats would swoop down feasting on mosquitos.

Winters were cold and icy and I walked to school in pink moon boots and along the way plenty of neighbors front yards had curious snow angels from an unsuspecting (stealth) 8 year old. 

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Since then, I’ve lived in many places and have been shaped by their amazing cuisines & culture; coastal and central Florida with its Cuban influences & spicy favor, upstate New York and New York City with Italian and international influences; and Hawaii; mangoes, papayas, and avocados in my back yard.  Plumeria and the ocean breeze filled the air and big long lasting sunsets.   In Maui I interned at a biodynamic farm study and this deepened my respect for the food system and all the creatures, weather, microbes  & humans working together to make it happen.  Hawaii also introduced me to  Ayurvedic principles, it was then I began incorporating unique herbs and roots into meals and this became a guiding thread—informing thoughtful pairings and seasonal balance.   It was a really meaningful time in my life and I am so grateful to have lived there.

Today, I happily call Flagstaff, Arizona home, where local and regional farmers & ranchers have become friends and colleagues.  My own pollinator and culinary garden is chuck full of  fresh herbs & edible flowers & I love incorporating them into every meal! ​

When not cooking you'll find me in the forest with Olly and Izzy-2 awesome rescue dogs that l adore. They have their own personal chef so I think it's mutual ;)  

No matter where I’ve lived, community has always been what makes life rich and fulfilling. Cooking for you is cooking for your own personal community. It is an honor to bring these traditions, experience, and care to your table.

May you always digest beauty.​​

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With Gratitude,

Deana