Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens was written and created by me, but the inspiration and content of this book was born of many wonderful relationships. Here I would like to acknowledge as many of the spectacular people who have influenced me as possible.
My mom and dad probably wouldn’t call themselves chefs, but the important thing they gave me was that food should be a celebration. The whole family would come together to make giant pans of lasagna, and my father would light up. Every opportunity we have to gather begets a massive outdoor cookout to rival anything seen on cable. Each of my parents makes what they make very well. My mother can do things with tuna and macaroni and cheese that just curls my toes. My dad still makes the best pork ribs I’ve ever tasted, and that’s not just because I love them. It’s because they are wonderful.
My sisters would be interested in cooking even if I wasn’t, but I am, so they ARE my band wagon. As a family we travel to cook offs, all wearing Crappy Little Kitchen T-shirts and passing out CLK propaganda. My little sisters and I (yes I’m the oldest) try restaurants together, travel and plan where we’ll be eating long before the plane and hotel arrangements are set, and talk about food endlessly. Truly, we don’t choose our family, but I would pick my sisters to be my best friends even if they were people I’d met late in my life. The fact that we’ve known each other literally forever only makes our relationship better.
My grandmothers each do something amazingly well. Granny Dee can stretch eggs and cheese for days with her signature dish, creamed eggs on toast. My mother was usually the one who made “cup of egg” (soft boiled egg cracked over toast that I got to tear into little pieces in a coffee cup) for me, but Dee taught her. Both dishes bring tears to my eyes. Granny Ila makes the best homemade candy you’ve ever tried whether you know it or not. Pink divinity and chocolate fudge at Christmas are a must. It’s magical to see her go outside and say, “No, it’s too humid today. We’ll see if we can make candy tomorrow.” Watching her drop the boiled sugar into a bowl of water and roll it around in her fingers to see if it’s reached the hard ball stage . . . has affected me and made me need to learn more.
Jay, ever my friend and partner, our relationship has changed much over the past 12 years I’ve known him, but our camaraderie in the kitchen stays the same. His signature dish would be his “bachelor chow,” but it changes every time he makes it, so the recipe will be difficult to nail down.
My friends are amazing. Amy insists that she can’t cook, but still makes the best chicken pot pie I’ve ever tasted (sorry Jeffery you’re coming up). She inspires me in so many aspects of my life, whenever I’m trying to look or act like an adult I always look to her and her stellar example of a woman. Laura always has an immaculate kitchen, and she goes on wonderful culinary adventures with me to restaurants and wineries. She makes the BEST chocolate pie in the world! My little Pound Cake, my best friend, Sarah Lee, makes all sorts of tasty things from cucumber kimchi to scallion pancakes, but her friendship is what gives my life flavor. Woolley’s the greatest flatmate ever, and not just because of his mother’s legendary refried beans.
The chefs who I’ve worked with truly make me humble. Jon and Joe were my first bosses when I was a lowly dishwasher. They taught me how to have fun despite the long, hot, grueling hours. I’m very proud of the menus we put out at Savory, and I am so fond of the memories of the prep meetings that would end (if we were lucky, sometimes we had to go back to work) with burgers at The Landing at 2:00 AM. Any restaurant I run will have a menu patterned after Savory.
Gilbert and Jeffery probably influenced this book the most. When I put it down for a while, and then picked it up for the final edit it truly hit me how much these men helped me. Gilbert definitely has the best pallet of any chef I’ve worked with, he could taste my pesto and tell me what day I made it. Jeffery not only taught me nearly everything I know about demi, salt and pepper, and cookies, he’s been an inspiration in life and I’m so glad he’s my friend.
Brian and Karin are some of my favorite people in the whole world. I gotta say it, the Grape was the most awful, debilitating work schedule I’ve ever encountered. Often fourteen-hour days and sometimes seven days a week. Gotta tell you, it was one of my favorite work experiences because of the environment those two created. The crew always got breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had fun, we loved each other. Chuy, Rosa, Bobby, and Juanita, I love you and I miss you!!
Lenny and Jason came along at a time when I really needed allies in the work place. Lenny is a master at fresh Asian cooking, he is after all a true California boy at heart, but I’ll always remember him for the Apple Dapple! Not just any war hero, if I’m worthy, Lenny and I will be friends forever. Jason is the quintessential French man, but we have a lot of fun thinking outside the box. Egg yolk ravioli with bacon pesto or even butter-infused poached eggs are a few of the many recipes we have rolling around in our heads.
The people who have helped directly with the book, I can’t thank you enough. Rosemary my agent has been a godsend. None of this would have happened without her, and I just love her accent so much I could die. I never knew what agents really did until we started looking and negotiating with publishers, and let me tell the other would-be authors out there . . . get yourself a literary agent! HCI publishing, especially Michele, thank you so much for your time and kindness with this first-time author. You’re the best!