Food unites us, across the aisle and regardless of circumstance. Some of our earliest and most powerful memories revolve around beloved foods. It is a subject that delivers a sensory response that few other subjects can. In the end, food is something that helps to define our heritage and something that literally makes us who we are. That’s why I find true joy in learning about great food, exploring the ingredients and the family recipes that bring us all together.
Each of my writing jobs has taught me something different about the value and power of home cooking. As a catalog writer for Penzeys Spices, I was inspired by Bill Penzey’s passion for speaking directly to those who “love to cook, and cook to love.”
Later, as the editor of Taste of Home magazine, I continued to deepen my understanding of how something as simple as a cornbread recipe can connect us to our ancestors and communicate our love for friends and family.
I saw this firsthand during my appearances on the QVC segment In the Kitchen with David during which I promoted a cookbook comprised of the most requested recipes from Taste of Home’s decades-long history. I also did the “Happy Dance” with the show’s charismatic host. My experience on QVC took the simple transaction of trading recipes with friends and family to a whole different level. The process of thinking about food, refining recipes and cooking for our families works on both a large and small scale. I felt lucky to have taken part in that process of love and sharing.
