ABOUT JOAN

Hello and welcome to IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KITCHEN COOKS. This is the place where we tell you a little about ourselves. First off, my name is Joan , I live in a simple row home in a small village in Northeastern Pennsylvania.The Village was settled in the mid-nineteenth century by Irish immigrants that worked in the Anthracite coal mines. I share the common experiences and traditions of village life with my family, neighbors and friends, especially the philosophy  that the kitchen is the heart of the home.

Deb and I have been friends for more than a decade now. A common thread that has intertwined and nurtured our friendship is our love of cooking and food. Often, girls’ friendships are enlivened with shopping dates, quality phone time and girls’ night out. Deb and I, however, plan our shopping dates in markets, and at produce stands, our quality phone time is usually talking about the state of our herbs and backyard gardens, and our idea of a girls’ night out is a cooking date in the kitchen. Over a glass of wine and a mutually prepared meal, we nurture the joys of our friendship. As our blog evolves, you will get to know us better, and I hope you enjoy sharing our cooking and kitchen experiences.

ABOUT DEB

Welcome.  We are so glad you have visited IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KITCHEN COOKS.  My name is Deb and I also  live in a small town in Northeastern, PA.  While I didn’t grow up in this town, I’ve been slowly making it my home with my daughter Elizabeth.  We live in a comfy half-double near the end of town and with tons of tender loving care, it’s truly becoming our haven for our own memories and traditions.

Growing up, I wasn’t that involved with what went on in the kitchen.  I recall my mother making meals with lots of canned veggies, Shake ‘n Bake, Stove Top Stuffing…..  She was very tidy about her kitchen, so there wasn’t much room for helping or learning.  (Sorry Mom!)  I always had this urge to cook something.  When I was old enough to be left at home by myself, I would make a dish or two.  Just something very simple.  Many times I would just experiment with a rice dish.  I loved to play around with different seasonings to change-up the flavor.  As the years went on I started cooking more and more.  Though I loved looking at cookbooks, I would rarely follow the recipes.  It was more to just soak up a ton of ideas.  Then the real excitement took place, taking those ideas and trying to make them your own.

I’ll never forget the first time Joan and I joined forces to cook.  WOW!  It was so incredible to throw around ideas and create something so wonderful.  That’s when our cooking bond truly started.  We laughed.  We cooked.  We created.  And we shared.

So, please join us through our continuous creative journey.  Bon appetit!