I went to an all-girls boarding school in Farmington, Connecticut. It sounds fancy, I know. But it wasn’t about balancing plates on our heads or learning to tie a bow tie—it was about education, athletics, and friendships. I was hesitant to leave, thinking that this faraway East Coast place could never feel like home, and I was worried I wouldn’t make friends. But my, was I wrong. I was homesick at first, but after a few months, Main Street became my home, and it still feels like one today.
Mrs. Ford (I still can’t seem to call her by her first name, Birch) was elegant and strict, inspiring and bold. She led the school and she led us all. I met Chris and Linda Noll, who became like parents to me, and to this day still are. I found my best friend, Adriana Valenciano, who fifteen years later was my maid of honor. My opposite, as we truly are, who became my sister, my family, as did her parents, Daisy Rodriguez and Brent Edwards. Adriana and her mother, Daisy, can’t seem to find enough opportunities to send me a sweet note, a beautiful gift, and most definitely would do anything for me. Her godmother, Violet Sanchez, made us Jell-O, did our laundry, and gave us a lot of love. Violet’s son, Armando Sanchez, would drop anything to pick us girls up. I met a group of girls who are equally as intelligent as they are beautiful and who push me daily to be my best. Thank you to Kelly O’Brien, and to Emily Maguire and her beautiful family, Johanne, Hank, Matt, and Maggie Maguire. Thank you to Eleanor Bradley, and Mei Ling Wong, and thank you, Alice Johnson.
That best friend of mine, Adriana, and I turned a wall in our dorm room into our inspiration. We ripped out Martha Stewart magazine pages and posted them all over that wall, because at the time I wanted to be just like Martha and any magazine inspiration that would lead me closer to her felt well worth our time designing what is now called our wedding wall. Years later I began working for Martha, and that dream, to be in her amazing, brilliant presence, became a reality, one that being at Miss Porter’s allowed me pursue. I met such creative and talented people like Pilar Guzman and Yolanda Edwards. I was encouraged and mentored by Joe Lagani, Alison Matz, Karen Stroble, and Vanessa Goldman Drossman. I found true friends, Kimrie Savage and Allie Donnelly.
And after leaving her company, cities and jobs later, I was over-the-moon honored to be asked to write for her. Every moment spent with Martha has inspired me to be a better host, a better cook, a better woman. I thank her for sharing such amazing opportunities with women, as we are stronger together when we encourage and support each other’s dreams.
Thank you to my incredible culinary and creative team at Prime Publishing. Tom Krawczyk, my photographer and videographer. Chris Hammond, Judith Hines, and Marlene Stolfo, my culinary test kitchen geniuses. To word masters and editors Bryn Clark and Jessica Thelander. And to my amazing editor and friend, Kara Rota. This book was a team effort, filled with collaboration and creativity that reached no limits.