If you’ve been following my posts on the Sears Chef Challenge, it’s now time to vote! Click this link and then click on the big orange button. Voting started June 26 and ends on July 10, which is next Saturday. The voting has been fiercely competitive and I need your votes each day to win and bless the two charitable organizations I am competing for – The Saddleback Church Food Pantry and The Sheepfold.
Read More→

Said to have been created by an Italian chef in Tijuana, Mexico around 1924, Caesar Salad is one of the great classic and well-loved salads. Found on almost every restaurant menu and often ordered out, it’s easy to forget that a great Caesar can be made at home. My favorite restaurant Caesar Salad is made at Gulfstream restaurant in Newport Beach and it’s after Gulfstream that I pattern my homemade Caesar Salad recipe.

Start with fresh, crisp Romaine leaves, drizzle on a creamy, garlicky homemade dressing and add fresh baked croutons from a few pieces of leftover bread.  Add a few wisps of Parmesan curls and that’s about it. I like to add corn kernels for a bit of a twist, as Gulfstream does. Although not traditional, sometimes I’ll add other ingredients for color and visual appeal like a little finely chopped parsley, tiny diced red onion, even a few sliced grapeseed tomatoes. I think they make a traditional Caesar more interesting, but you can do as you please – goodies or not.
Read More→

Congratulations to Quyen V! Quyen is the lucky winner of the Picture Perfect School of Photography Introduction to Food Photography course taught by Ron Goldman and Kathleen Clemons! We had 170 entries for the giveaway, from #28-#198. The random number generator came up with #44 as the winner, and that was Quyen!
Read More→

Welcome to my blog! I’m Sally, the author of this blog and a native Southern California girl. My husband Kent (the photographer) and I live in Orange County, CA.

I’ve loved to cook and all things food since I was young. I received the requisite Easy-Bake-Oven at age 6 or so for Christmas which I still remember. My brother Chris and I used to save empty boxes and cans for playing grocery store. A long time friend and I used to play restaurant as Sally cooker and Denise server. Looking back at my life, there was definitely a trend.

I grew up cooking and entertaining with my mom. Some of my fondest memories of my mother are of our times in the kitchen together.  She put me in summer cooking classes when I was 11. My passion for cooking continued to grow until I reached the point where my dream was to go to culinary school. I finally did – at age 45.  As Olympic swimming champion Dara Torres says, you don’t have to put an age limit on your dreams.

After leaving my technology job in 2006 I started a business, Everyday Gourmet, offering personal chef and catering services. I also love to teach and write. Blogging is the newest piece of my ongoing life’s recipe. My passion is not just for cooking and food, but for wine, travel and also photography. I’m fortunate to be married to a man who is as passionate about photography as I am about food and cooking. The beautiful pictures you see on this site are his. The not so perfect ones will be mine, but I’m learning.

My passion is also about sharing what I have learned and what I continue to learn with others. I live, eat, sleep and breathe food and I hope that will benefit you. I love to find interesting new ingredients and resources, and I love to experiment. My family and friends have encouraged me to share my experience with a wider audience. I hope that you enjoy reading my blog and that it brings you a smile as well as new recipes and ideas for cooking and sharing with your family and friends.

After a dinner party one evening many years ago, a friend and I were at the table finishing a glass of wine. He got me started talking about food and cooking. After bubbling on for awhile he stopped me and said “do you know that when you talk about food you light up?” And that’s when it hit me. It’s what I truly love to do. Talk about food and share what I have learned and continue to learn. I hope you’ll be blessed to read this blog as I am blessed to write it and share it with you.