I want to start off by letting everyone know that I do not have any formal training in the culinary arts or profession.  But what I do have is a set of skills one acquires spending most of their life in a kitchen.  I would help my mom bake cookies for our family when I was in grade school and slowly worked my way up to preparation of nightly dinners.  I was also a 4-H kid, which meant raising animals as well as baking pies and making pizza dough from scratch.  When I was in middle school, I would spend part of my summer vacation in northern California helping my grandmother with her cookie shop.  She would sell birch beer floats, muffins, sandwiches and a wide array of cookies to tourists in a quant little town near Shasta mountain.

In high school I got a job in a pizza place, my first real kitchen job.  From there, I’ve worked in a deli, a bakery, a night time lounge/dinner restaurant, steakhouse, burger joint, hotel restaurant, and a breakfast place; where I work to this day.  I’ve helped cater events, as well as make cafeteria style meals for our armed forces.  From all these experiences, I’ve learned how to make anything, as long as I have a recipe.  I don’t pretend I am the best chef ever and I burn, drop, over season and under cook just as much stuff as everyone else.  Those are the moments that we get to learn and I love to learn.

I fall into routine easily, but love to try new eats and go to new places.  I prefer to spend money on experiences rather than material possessions because a great experience turns into a great story.  And there is not much else I like better than a good story.  I currently reside in a small town on the central coast of California with my wife and daughter.  I honestly did not understand how awesome it is to be a father and share new things and rediscover old things with her.  Both of my girls are my reason for living and I can’t wait to share a lifetime of adventures with them.