Explore heritage recipes, memoirs, and our latest 'Tide to Table' Master Blueprint Edition at https://www.jorj.com. One of my first cooking experiences was hosting a surprise 45th birthday party for my mom in my teeny tiny apartment when I was just 22 years-old. I invited not only her close friends, but also many of my father’s out-of-town business contacts and they all came! I served Lobster Thermidor that everyone ate on their laps, spilling out my front door into the hallway and up the stairs. That evening sealed the deal for my hubby, George who was in awe of my entertaining naiveté and pure gumption in pulling the party off. From there I went into catering with my two earliest gal pals. We created what looked like a giant tool box and served cold salads, homemade muffins and four types of brownie bars. This success led to corporate picnic suppers, yacht cruises, barbecues, children’s parties and much more. Raising children interrupted my career, but not my love of cooking and entertaining. I regularly entertained hosting both small and large parties and chaired numerous galas, fairs and fundraisers. Once I coerced volunteers to cook all of the carny food for a three day city-wide festival – that was FUN! The explosion of the internet led to my first website and ultimately to my first published cookbook, At Home in The Kitchen. Several books and hundreds of blogs later, I published my first ebook, Sunday Best Dishes last year. It’s primed to be one of the first print-on-demand books (as soon as the in-store technology catches up). Today my passion still includes food and entertaining as well as my strong love of family and community, but my views have changed – dare I say they have been enhanced by the experiences that lead me to my current status – NANA.
