Why Simpleigh Cooked?

I am a wife, mom and a chef who loves cracking jokes and eggs at the crack of dawn while my family scrambles to get out the door for the day. While we’re all a little half baked, our love for each other nourishes my soul. My idea for Simpleigh Cooked comes from my passion and love for cooking and wanting to get it done as simply and quickly as possible without comprising nutrition and taste. Time is valuable and I’d prefer to spend as much of it as possible with my family and our new puppy. Life can get crazy busy, but it truly doesn’t have to be. Sitting down at the table for a nice dinner is a blessing that I am committed to encouraging in today’s busy world.

1. I don’t take life too seriously and I love to have fun … just ask my two kids and husband! They are either my biggest fans, or just really great actors. 😉
2. I’m a culinary graduate from Culinary Academy of Austin and will always cherish that time in my life when i was able to attend. It was like going into the Army … for chefs. Daily lineups, pressed chef aprons and that clean white chef’s coat. I felt so very small and intimidated in those chef pants and hat, but quickly grew into my role as a culinary artist and learned to wear my chef uniform proudly. I loved every minute of it!
3. Studied theater at LMU, where I fell in love with comedy. Laughing and cooking something yummy are my daily meds.
4. I’m an average B student and couldn’t wait to graduate and get out in the real world. I learned very young that my humor, not my grades, would take me places.
5. With a Southern mother and Greek father, I’ve always loved food, and have learned young how to argue well! I come from an amazing lineage of great cooks and strong personalities. My mother and my Thia (aunt) have been my inspiration since I was a little girl.
6. I live in the coolest city, Austin, Texas, where we eat food from food trucks and everyone’s supportive of keeping it “loco” … or maybe it’s “local”. Anyway, I’ll get back to you on that one.
7. I have a heart for people and my door is always open. Which means there is usually someone sitting on my kitchen bar stool enjoying a cup of coffee. Ohhhh! Have you had my coffee yet? Well then, come on over!
8. I use the word “honey” a lot. It’s a Southern thing, Greek thing, and a sweet thing.
9. I’ve been married for 14 years and truly believe that to make a marriage cook, you’ve got to wake up every morning and ask yourself, “What ingredient do I need to add today”? Sometimes it’s a pinch of patience or a dash of forgiveness, but whatever it is, it’s worth the effort.
10. The worst thing I ever made was my first attempt at a tomato sauce. In school they teach you to thicken a sauce with cornstarch. Well, I could have sworn they said “cornmeal.” So, you can imagine my husband’s face when he tasted what I thought was going to be the best sauce ever made. Oops!