These past few years have been full of many transitions; changes that make me feel like I’m constantly in a state of transience. Life as a private chef inflames this feeling with traveling to new places, meeting new people, and cooking new dishes every single week. I think I’m finally realizing that my anchor is not a place but a feeling.
Nostalgia fuels everything I do; I have many saved menus, letters and trinkets as proof lol. Being able to share meals with people whether it’s eating alongside my friends or feeding complete strangers I just met for the first time, the ability to foster a collective nostalgia breathes life into me.
I have been lucky enough to work with
@lamisa.events where 3 of us all cook from our own life experiences channeling pure nostalgia onto a plate.
This week I got to create some special plates for a family birthday
@grateful_woods in Kerhonkson with one of my dearest friends from culinary school,
@abigail.connolly . Abi really helped bring the food memories to life - One of the birthday celebrants mentioned their favorite food memory involved Coca-Cola and the other fig newtons. We created a fig tarte tatin with a cola spiced caramel. There was a coco whip to finish, a perfect post summer feast dessert.
Abi hosted me for two nights and showered me in yummy fruits and healing conversations around her little red drop leaf table. It’s these sweet memories I feel so lucky to be able to make with a life like this.
Following grateful woods, I helped
@titabaddie at her client’s estate in Rhinebeck where we powered through a weekend consisting of 8 meals in total, all varying menus with no repetitions. It’s exhausting but it feels like a ballroom dance, being perfectly coordinated.
Highlighted here are some of the fun dishes I got to cook, A poached scallop dish utilizing the garden at the estate; Basil dill oil, strawberry vinegar, fresh sunflower seeds and petals, and borage flowers.
A chili lime fish sauce grilled squid using potato starch in the marinade in order to thicken the sauce directly on the grill giving you more charred bits, finished with a roasted sungold Jeow Mak Len and tons of basil.
Thank you for reading ✨🫶
