About Me

I have had brief, unremarkable stints in the food world.

When i was young, I spent most days after school in my father's bakery, watching him roll the dough for breads and pastries and layer the most perfect cakes. I assigned myself the title of official taste tester and assisted customers with their selections ("Buy them all!") In my last year of high school, to earn money for spring break, I gave up a spot on the varsity tennis team to start a homemade cookie business. The business was popular, especially with girls and teachers, but the novelty of eating cookies everyday tapered off once swimsuit season hit. In college, I penned restaurant reviews for the school paper, reaching a a whopping 50 people who bothered with the arts section.

Not the stuff of legends.

After graduation, I worked odd jobs to avoid a life in the cubicles. A wall painter, a bookseller, a barista and a server. It was this last job at a dessert cafe that made me realize I wanted to pursue a career in food.

After a lot of thinking and internet research, I decided to visit the Insitute of Culinary Education in New York. I took a tour and sat in on a class taught by Juventino Avila that was fast-paced, hands-on, and most importantly, inspiring. The great thing about culinary school is that, after learning everything you can about cooking, there are so many career options in addition to becoming a chef that do not involve the claustrophobia-inducing cublicle.

So, in a few months, I'm moving to the great culinary mecca of New York City to learn everything I can about food. I'll have a full-time schedule of cooking at school and eating out on the town. In the mean time, this journal is to record my experiments in home, dining out in Boston, New York, and other cities, and anything else food-related.

Enjoy.

~Diana
5.29.05