I'm a working professional who's rekindling her passion for food and intentional cooking. Throughout my 20's I pinched pennies while working through two graduate degrees. I lived with a collaborative, creative, and communal group of cherished friends, however, and we pooled our time and talents to cook and eat together. Nearly twenty years later I still relish the memories of the meals we prepared with love and devoured with gusto.

 

I left those days behind to pursue my teaching career.  Overwhelmed by the hours of prepping, planning, and grading for classes, I quit cooking meals from scratch and settled for faster and more convenient foods. As  a vegetarian I long thought my diet during the intervening years was sufficient. I made excuses for the pounds that poured on as I consumed more foods from boxes or restaurants. A fortuitous meal at Miller Union, followed by a special dinner party, inspired me to recommit myself to eating seasonal, slow, healthy, and self-prepared meals. This blog documents my culinary journey to experiencing calm, balance, purpose, and joy in my life each day.

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I playfully  named this site in homage to Jonathan Richman and his spoken-word poem, "I Eat with Gusto, damn you bet!"