At home in the kitchen.

My first job was at a local pizza place, and from the moment I stepped into that kitchen I felt I had found my place in life. I fell in love with the camaraderie, the foul language, working with my hands, and the grit of the kitchen.

Kitchens are full of people from all walks of life and I was fortunate to meet, work with and be inspired by some of the most interesting people around – not just within those four walls but through connections to farmers, growers, cheesemakers and more. I am honored to have had these incredible experiences and relationships.

I kept learning and growing in my cooking abilities, and worked hard to earn the title of Executive Chef. It was a huge accomplishment that came with a lot of responsibilities and longer hours. I love to cook, the creativity, my co-workers, and my guests’ appreciation, but I was missing time with my family.

The next chapter.

I started to think about what I truly loved about my job as a chef, and top of the list was having creative freedom to play with whatever ingredients I could access. Giving myself that freedom showed me that I could create a huge impact on a simple dish with the addition of some spices. I realized the next chapter of my career needed to concentrate on spices .

I love all the different nuances that spices have to offer and their intoxicating aromas. Whether you grind them, keep them whole, or toast them, they impart something completely different to every dish. I love using spices to create intrigue in a dish and the process of creating a new flavor profile is so much fun!

I love to teach others about it too, but as I talked about the variety and blends of spices and flavors with friends and family, they’d shake their heads and say it was too hard, too complicated. It’s not – I promise!

This was the genesis for my business idea for Pinch of Fancy. I knew I could show others how to use layers and blends of spices, and make it more approachable for the home cook. I’ve spent years as a chef developing my spice blends, and now through Pinch of Fancy I can share them with you.

These first three blends I’m offering have been my go-to blends for some time now. They are easy to use, create an impact that entice people to come back for more, and will save you time in the kitchen so you can spend more of it with family.

Have fun with your food.

Cooking doesn’t have to be serious; you can have fun with food. Recipes are just meant to be a guide, not rules set in stone. Don’t get me wrong, there are rules for technique and proper food handling but when it comes to flavor – the sky is the limit.

Please enjoy theses blends and have fun with them!