My passion for food began young. As a child I often found myself criss-crossing Southern California with my mother in her frequent quest for the "the best pastrami sandwich" or "the perfect bowl of soup." Maybe it was the year spent abroad in Italy where my awareness of fresh, local food was awakened in Florence's markets. I remember going to the market a couple times a week and tasting fresh fruits and vegetables like I had never tasted before -- one day a friend and I ate an entire bag of fresh figs. I can still remember that lusciously sweet taste. In many ways, moving to the Bay Area in 2000 felt like a homecoming. The farmer's markets in San Francisco brought me back to those found in Italy.



I started a website, "Life Begins @ 30" in September 2003 to voice my passion for local, fresh food and food politics. My writing is inspired and influenced by the writings of those who tout the importance of local, organic and in-season food and most importantly, knowing where one's food comes from: Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, Gary Paul Nabhan, Rachel Carson, Eric Schlosser, and Joel Salatin.