Hello, Chiffy!

Good morning! 37 Cooks is all about cooking challenges. Our members are...cooks! But they are also amazing people! Our hope is that through the food challenges you will get to know each of us better. Chiffonade is the sponsor of the challenge currently underway, Chiffonade's Christmas Cookie Challenge. Hey, Chiffy! Nice to meet you!

I was lucky enough to be born into a family who knew that food was more than gasoline for the body. Meals were a time to reconnect with one another and “re-ground.” My mother was an excellent cook and taught me how to do much with little. My father is the “MacGyver of the kitchen,” working magic with far-reaching food combinations that somehow work. My brother also revels in cooking for friends and family.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, I have lived in Colorado, Florida and presently reside in Georgia. I have one daughter, 24, who has come to appreciate excellent food and has a few specialties of her own.

I'm asked about my "middle" name quite often. My mother did not have the foresight to name me Chiffonade, so I took it as my Internet handle and, long story short, it stuck. I define myself as one who cooks and felt this was the perfect name conceived in a time of Internet anonymity. I have been posting to culinary sites and message boards for over 20 years as Chiffonade. With the advent of Facebook, where real names are used, I needed to include Chiffonade or my online friends would have never found me.