Hello. Welcome to my kitchen.

Cooking after five. When I come home from work, the first thing I do after exchanging my pumps for slippers is head to the kitchen. I’m a philanthropist at a private family foundation by day, but evenings are all about food. Cooking is equal parts relaxing, challenging, fun, and satisfying. It’s also one of the easiest ways I know to make my friends and family happy. I meal plan every Saturday, which is the secret weapon to pulling off weeknight cooking while holding down a full-time job. That, and a husband who’s willing to wash dishes.

Inspiration. I shop at my local Farmers Market, subscribe to four food magazines, browse epicurious.com on my iPhone, record more cooking shows than I care to admit, and dream that one day words like granite, sub-zero, and island will be synonymous with my kitchen.

Reality check. The size of my current kitchen forbids this dream to come true (including myself and my husband, we can only fit two guests around our dinner table at a time), but I’m an entertainer at heart — the self-taught, Food Network apprentice, evening and weekend gourmet.

Details. This blog offers easy recipes you can impress your friends and family with, along with the autobiographical tales of my mishaps and triumphs in the kitchen. I hope the mishaps keep you entertained, and the triumphs encourage you to discover your own favorite recipes. Happy cooking!