The Johnson and Yoch families, some of my biggest supports and so grateful for them

I have always had a passion and a talent for cooking, particularly Italian food.  But because of training, racing, and other obligations I don’t cook very often.  But this weekend I made an exception and put my ability to good use as I catered a party for a dear family that is very close to me in Scottsdale.

Making bechamel sauce for the lasagna

I learned a lot of my recipes and skills from my dad who was a chef and also from my family in Italy.  A woman of many talents, as they say in Italy, I love being creative and giving people the Italian experience of great food.

This weekends party was a 12 person sit down dinner.  I made an assortment of crostini appitizers; spinach and ricotta, asparagus with roasted almonds, and a traditional bruscetta.  Dinner was lasagna, stuffed mushrooms with balsamic grilled asparagus, and a caprese salad.  For dessert I made the always delicious Tiramisu (from the recipe of my best friend’s grandmother, THE BEST) and a macedonia (fruit salad) with lemon pastry cream.

The last couple years while in Tucson I would cook and deliver meals to families in the neighborhood to make some money, I made bars at one point also that were gluten free and no preservatives.  I’ve had to be inventive in supporting myself for cycling, and cooking has come naturally to me.

I met the Yoch’s and Johnson’s on a Butterfield & Robinson trip last fall as I guided them in the Lakes region of Italy.  They were very interested in my cycling and the determination I have to succeed.  We stayed in contact and they have been so incredibly supportive of my development, so when I offered to cook and they suggested a dinner party I was excited to offer my talents and time.

Throughout dinner, they made sure every single person knew I had been cooking since the day before.  That I sat stirring various cream sauces from scratch for over an hour to reach perfect consistency and quality.  And that every item they ate was filled with Italian love and history.

The pictures from this weekend are worth a thousand words, and probably some drooling

The cooking begins, Tiramisu

Appetizers

Dinner plate

Fran, Tom, and some of the guests

Always room for dessert 🙂

I think we went through some wine