About Me/My Recipes

About Me

I have a background in naturopathic medicine, and I’m passionate about holistic nutrition, optimal wellness, and green living.

My parents owned a restaurant in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s (called The Quilted Giraffe) and I practically grew up in the restaurant’s kitchen. I also studied cooking in both France and Japan while still a teenager.

In my late teens and early twenties, I had some health issues. A wonderful holistic medical doctor introduced me to the world of alternative medicine. I got better using an entirely nutritional approach. I was amazed.

I spent several years studying therapeutic diets and herbal medicine on my own before deciding to pursue a degree in naturopathic medicine. I graduated with my doctorate from Seattle’s Bastyr University, the leader in science-based natural medicine, in 1998.

I have worked in private practice at various locations throughout the country but since moving to New Paltz, NY in 2001 and having my second child, I have been a work at home mom. I had a 4 year stint as an online used and rare book dealer, which was interesting and fun, but ultimately decided to go back to where my heart is- holistic health and wellness.

I enjoy writing about all sorts of topics related to nutrition and health and I particularly love blogging about healthy recipes!

About My Recipes

I am not a professional chef, nor am I a professional recipe writer, but I do my very best to make sure I share quality recipes written in a clear and concise manner. I am also not a professional photographer (I am very far from that!), but I am learning as I go and I try to take decent photos. I hope to improve in the photography department with practice.

Because I have a background in holistic medicine and I’m passionate about nutrition, I try to make my recipes be the healthiest they can be, while still being delicious.

I consider myself a “flexitarian” (meaning I eat a largely vegetarian diet with occasional consumption of everything else). But it’s a big world of eaters out there, and I want my blog to be friendly to anyone and everyone interested in healthy eating.

For this reason, you will see that my recipes are fairly eclectic, and run the gamut from raw vegan to vegetarian to gluten-free to some that include fish and meat. I love experimenting with foods from different regions/cultures around the world, so the ingredients may not always be familiar, but they are never impossible to find.

My recipes are based on real foods only- I do not use fake/processed ingredients. I try to focus on seasonal, local foods and I use the best quality, mostly organic ingredients that I can find for reasonable cost. Whenever possible, I use vegetables from my own garden. I hope you find some recipes that you like, and that you enjoy my blog!