Welcome to Ellie Cooking!

I love food. Always had and always will! My love of food started as a child. I would watch my mother and grandmother work in the kitchen at our house making the most amazing dishes. My grandmother came to the United States from Italy when she was a little girl, and she brought with her a passion for good food. Mostly Italian food, of course!

As I got older I continued to have an interest in cooking not only Italian food, but also other types of food. When I was eight years old, my mom started to have me help out in the kitchen. While my grandmother didn’t really measure anything when she was cooking, my mom would be better at making sure her recipes were followed closely. Or at least closer than grandma!

So, I would help by reading the recipes and help measure out the ingredients. It was a task that I took very seriously and I measured everything out to the exact level. Over time, mom gave me more responsibility and I started to learn how to chop vegetables, cut and trim various meat and fish items and eventually as a teen I was trusted to cook on my own.

As a child I took cooking very seriously and I still do. I learned at an early age how to be careful in the kitchen. Using sharp knives can be very dangerous for cooks of any age, and especially for children and teenagers. Mom and grandma were great teachers. They showed me proper ways to hold a knife and how to cut and chop. Also I was taught how to hold or how to place them on my cutting board. These were great lessons and I’m pleased to say that I was mostly injury free.

These lessons have carried me throughout my career as a professional chef, food instructor and as a home cook. I’ve always had a passion for food and have tried to pass that along to others. I hope that some of the information that I am posting on my website will help you learn more about cooking and have as much fun as I do!