Holy shit, I just got a James Beard nomination?!

I was fueling up at the Cheesecake Factory after spending my “day off” filling a storage unit with boxes and boxes of Rebelle coffee cups when I found out I had just been nominated for Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. WHAT WHAT!!!?!?!

It was such a surprise to read my name and the name of my restaurant, Little Sister, on that list. As I type up this blog post a few days later, it still doesn’t feel like a real statement. I have these fleeting nightmarish thoughts that they will recall the list because my name was not supposed to be there. But every time I refresh the page on my browser, my name is still there. I’m in the club, I’m on the level!

I never went to culinary school or received formal training in cooking. I have picked up most of what I know through books, careful observation of folks who know more than I do, and a lot of trial and error. It is exciting to figure out a new way to do something, to solve problems and bring ideas to fruition. Cooking really tickles every part of my brain, and then you get to eat it! (Not the brains, silly…)

This recognition is bringing so much into focus for me. I learned to cook for myself as an act of rebellion against my mother, as a way to kill boredom during long teenage summers, and as a way to build independence and practice resourcefulness. As a self-taught chef, it has been super fun to develop my skills in the kitchen by following my intuition. And what a great, low-stakes way to practice a skill that is so useful in real life, following your intuition? In this sense, cooking is the best career I could have chosen for myself.

As I process this achievement, I think back to all the folks who have helped build me up to this point and whisper a telepathic “thank you”. Thank you! I have learned so much, yet I still have so much more to learn. Your support and love makes it possible. Bring it!