I have had a love affair with fresh, beautiful food my whole life.  As a little girl, I enjoyed concocting things in the kitchen more than anything else.  As a pre-teen I fell hard for Jacques Pepin and his cooking show on PBS (I still am an avid fan today).   My mother is Belgian, so I was lucky to travel often to Europe with my family.  My grandmother had this wonderful and huge vegetable garden in a small village near Antwerpen.  I remember pulling carrots, picking bush beans and turning the most delicious red currants into jam for our breakfast toast.  For a Newport Beach girl this was a total culture shock…and I loved it.

Serendipity took hold when I met my husband.  I was living in a little studio apartment near the mission in Santa Barbara.  It had a make shift kitchen…a hot plate, refrigerator and mini-oven.  Even though I didn’t have much room or great equipment, it didn’t stop me from producing fun dinners.  My husband brought a new element to my culinary adventures; he is passionate and extremely knowledgeable about wine.  It was a perfect pairing, he had the wine and I made the food!  He opened my eyes to the pleasures of the wine world and the endless possibilities that can exist between the two.

A few years back, I began carrying on the tradition of my grandmother.  I planted our garden.  My motivation in starting an organic garden at home was the desire for flavor, freshness and seasonality.  Santa Barbara is such an amazing locale-terrific weather, good soil and an abundance of organic offerings.  As a mother, I love the rhythm and beauty the garden has brought to our life and kitchen.  My girls love to nurture and tend the vegetables and feel a connection to the food they are eating.

Eat-Drink-Garden has evolved from my love of eating, drinking, gardening and entertaining.  I have learned many lessons through trial and error, discovered some tricks that make all the difference and found joy in the simplicity and beauty of a fresh, lovely meal- made with homegrown and quality ingredients, wine selected with thoughtful care, a delightful menu matched with an elegant and relaxed atmosphere.  There is nothing more satisfying.

I plan to share all that I have learned along the way with you.  Life in Santa Barbara has abundant resources for the home gardener, cook and wine enthusiast.  My hope is that you will look around the site and visit back often to see what’s new in my garden and kitchen.  My desire is to introduce new things and techniques, and by doing so enrich your senses of style in your own life.  With an open mind and a creative spirit anything is possible.

Philosophy

You are invited to my table where a bounty awaits you…produce fresh from the garden, attractive (but never fussy) food, a showcase for delicious wine, all brought together with a thoughtful presentation to entice all the senses.

I am here to guide you in bringing the best of the Santa Barbara’s relaxed, elegant and delicious lifestyle into your home.

Join me as I share my passion for living life celebrating all that I love- eat, drink, garden.

Eat:

My mantra in the kitchen? Make tasty food layered with fresh, high quality and seasonal ingredients. I approach cooking and entertaining with a sense of adventure, fun and a glass of wine in hand.

Drink:

It’s as simple as this-if you cook wonderful food, seek out wonderful wine. Small production wines are a great place to start and there are many great priced, wonderful wines to be discovered.

Garden:

There is nothing better than having fresh from the garden produce. The quality of your food benefits from the earth’s bounty. Your heart and mind yield immense satisfaction from creating food that is satisfying to both body and soul.