As a young girl I would visit my grandparents in Paris and on special mornings, we would walk together to the local markets. I saw the watchful care with which ingredients were selected. My grandparents took no shortcuts and were uncompromising when it came to what they ate. No meal during the more than 50 years of their marriage, was complete without a sweet treat. They taught me well.

It is in Paris in these early years that I first experienced the elation that comes from creative cooking. As my grandmother’s helper, I became part of transforming a selection of various ingredients into a satisfying and (to my young mind) quite miraculous whole. I still find this process to be magical.

I continued to bake as I grew up. I practiced constantly. The kitchen became my domain. This was my passion.