ABOUT

Life evolves and so does this bio.

Day (what feels like) 572 of Quarantine. Nothing new to report, but alive, so that’s good. Memoir and other projects happening in small spurts. My group, Westchester Foodies, has surpassed 4700 members and it is still one of the only vitriol-free places on Facebook. I am still delighting and angering people on Instagram, so that’s good.

A bit about me: In sandwich form. You can find me on LinkedIn, but why would you do that?

BREAD

I studied psychology and quasi-advertising & design at New Mexico State University and Loyola Marymount University. I landed my first gig at 24 as a freelance art director at Bates USA West and was flung into the fire to help re-brand Hyundai, which at that time was a virtually impossible feat. (that was a brag) This job created the delusion that I was actually an art director.

For the next 4-6 years I faked-it-til-I-made-it and honed my skills on national brands such as Epson America, Fox TV, Telemundo, Health Net, Cox Cable, Lindora Weight Loss etc. (wake up!)

In 2001, I defected from the world of casual Fridays and status meetings to create branding and marketing materials for mostly small and emerging companies, with one rule, I had to like the founder and believe in their product. (and they had to pay me with money, although sometimes I received food, wine and furniture too.)

Since then I have worked with great people and products ranging from Tropical Plant Wholesalers and Hospitals to big brands like Nike to tasty products like Jamón Iberico producers.

MEAT

I spent my childhood and teen summers in Colombia savoring such delights as chicken feet, chitlins and pork trotters. I did some time in New Mexico where I delighted in green chile posole and sopapillas, New York where I breathed in the aromas of roasted chestnuts and dirty water dogs and Spain where my entire universe was flipped upside down over blood sausage, paella, fabada, Jerez (sherry) and Jamón Iberico. I moved my operations (office, dog, furniture and clothes) from the beach and boardwalk of southern California to San Francisco in 2006 to chase food, wine and nature. I don’t feel like I will every truly belong to one place, but wherever I go, I find something I can connect with and it is usually food.

CHEESE, PICKLES AND MORE

I love life, people and food, not to mention, my Italian-American husband, beautiful and hilarious daughter Lola, and, sweet-as-molasses, son Charlie. My Shih Tsu, Frieda, was my first child. She was with me for 13 years and I miss her every day. I have run a marathon in Hawaii, played tennis, thrown pottery, sculpted in clay, taken photographs, danced, climbed and consumed a lot of food, wine and spirits. I have friends from all walks of life and am accused of never knowing a stranger.

I am honored to have served on the Board of 18 Reasons in San Francisco, California. 18 Reasons is a non-profit organization. They are a unique cooking school that is a cultural hub in the Mission District of San Francisco and also run the Bay Area Cooking matters program.  Cooking Matters teaches healthy cooking and nutrition classes to lower income families. I am proud to have taught eight 6-week classes to over 100 people.

My family and I relocated to the Suburbs of New York in 2014.. We are only 40 minutes by train to New York city, yet it feels like a different dimension.

I believe that food is the one thing that connects us all. I don’t care how grumpy or politically opposed people may be, ask someone what they love to eat and the walls will start to come down, unless they are an asshole who doesn’t like food. I have met a few.

If you are not exhausted after reading all of that and are still interested in some show-and-tell, click HERE to see my web version of a hall closet that needs some attention, but probably won’t get any.