Michelle R. Hughes
From a very young age I loved being in the kitchen. When my Mom would be making her pasta sauce, she would set me up with all the same ingredients to make my own version, which never tasted anywhere near as good as hers. But I would stand alongside her, me on a chair stirring my creation as she stirred her masterpiece.
My Mom also loved to bake. Nothing smelled better than waking up to fresh baked muffins and breads in the morning.
My Mom also taught me a lot about gardening and appreciating the freshness of vegetables and fruits that were picked from the garden.
When I got older my brother and I would spend our summer vacation days at our Italian grandmother’s house. This is where I learned to make fresh pasta. She is also who taught me about canning and preserving. She canned everything that was in season.
In my later years I took my love of cooking to the next level. I acquired a job as a pastry chef for a restaurant in Carmel Valley. Nothing pleased me more than hearing the guests raving about my desserts at the end of their meals. And what was even better was knowing that they would come back time and time again only to have my desserts.
Life took a bit of a detour and I met my husband and moved to Los Banos. I got an office job but never gave up on my passion for cooking. For awhile I worked for a local catering company first as a server, then running their off premise catering events. What a great learning experience which certainly helped set stage for my future.
