Q & A with Doril

When did you start cooking?

"Start" is a relative term. The closest I got to cooking before I went away to college was a box of Dunan Hines cookie mix with some friends. Once I was living on my own, I still wouldn't call what I cooked "real cooking." Steamed veggies, rice and a chicken breast do not a gourmet meal make. I think I really started cooking when I moved in with my then boyfriend-turned fiance-turned husband. I couldn't stand how unhealthy he ate and I was determined to try to turn that around. My next mile marker on the cooking journey was when I joined Weight Watchers last year. I realized that I could still eat all the delicious, homemade meals I wanted...I just had to fiddle with some of the ingredients and watch the portions size. Thats when things really took off and i haven't looked back!

Who inspires you?

If you go to the first post in my blog, I talk about my mom. Her and my dad raised my brother and I right in learning early on that square meals (protein, veggie, starch) and salads and fruit are good to eat, not just good for you. There is a rarely a time when my mom cooks something that isn't outstanding and she never uses ingredients like sugar or salt.

If you could have lessons from one chef, who would it be?

As unhealthy as her meals are, I'd love to spend a day with Ina Garten in her kitchen. We would pick herbs and veggies from her garden, melt butter by the pound, go visit out local fishmonger, and sip wine at the end of the day by the ocean....it would be a great day.

Favorite thing to cook/bake? Etc.

Anything Italian. Lasagna, anything parmagiana, pizza, chicken.

What's one fear you have in the kitchen?

I don't really have any fears right now, just disinterests like homemade cake. I'd su much rather buy a box mix and call it a day. My big fear used to be yeast. I tackled it recently and it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be but my recipes weren't exactly 100% successful either. I'm not running back to try them again.