HISTORY

I am primarily a painter, with my passion for cooking second. My parents, Joe and Josephine, were attorneys in New York, and my mother was also an artist, fostering my creativity from a young age. Around the age of eight, I became friends with intriguing neighbors, Julia and Edward Wagner, renowned astrologers who always in black. Julia was a fantastic cook, crafting exotic dishes with unusual ingredients, which was a novelty in our small seaside village of Northport, New York. I spent my weekends at their home, enjoying meals and having my astrological read, while their Manhattan lifestyle introduced me to a vibrant world of artists and unique personalities. Mr. Lee would deliver fresh vegetables from his garden, and together, Julia and I would create authentic and adventurous Chinese dishes. By the age of nine, favorite meal was Tripe Creole, closely followed by Curried Chicken Hearts. During college in Southampton, New York, my stepmother Jane would bring me a thermos of Curried Chicken Hearts on my birthday to enjoy on the beach, paired with mussels and clams cooked over a driftwood fire. I spent my summers in the Hamptons while attending Parsons in Manhattan, working as a server in some of the finest restaurants, which exposed me to a diverse array of culinary experiences. Living in Soho, near Chinatown and Little Italy, I shopped in those vibrant neighborhoods, bringing home unusual ingredients and experimenting in the kitchen until I developed my skills as a cook. My story continues, and there’s much more to share later…