From the moment I met (my now-husband) Josh, cooking together was a natural part of our relationship.
While we were dating—after a year of being best friends—instead of going out to eat in restaurants we would stay in to whip up a batch of something like pasta, tacos, or from-scratch pizza. It certainly helped us save what little money we had, but that was almost beside the point. We both just loved to get in the kitchen and dream up new, delicious takes on standby dishes that were simple to shop for and easy to prepare, and yet used whole, fresh ingredients. Not a small challenge! But we were both cut out for it. I grew up watching my dad turn our rural Illinois house into the go-to spot for a tasty meal and even tastier baked desserts. Josh learned to cook out of necessity, feeding his three younger brothers, but then continued feeding just about everyone—roommates, dorm mates, neighbors, everyone. We developed a great dynamic in the kitchen: Josh was the scientific one who loved to figure out the why behind how certain ingredients work together (coming a long way from Frito pie and from-a-can sloppy Joes), while I was usually standing over his shoulder going, “Just make it already!” (I guess you could say I’m more of a creative spirit!) So, you can see how we ended up catering our own wedding, complete with a giant Mediterranean spread of chicken and veggie kebabs with lemon rice, Greek salad, homemade hummus, and fresh pita bread; plus an over-the-top dessert bar with some of my signature confections that coordinated with our black and white theme: classic chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, chocolate-dipped Oreos, and hazelnut macaroons. Oh, and did I mention this was for 300 people?