Feeding people is my passion, and preparing locally grown and produced food is a belief on which I've based my life and career. In 2004 I followed my heart from the corporate world to the French Culinary Institute where I attended the Classic Culinary Arts program and graduated in October 2005. Coming from a family of successful entrepreneurs, it was in my blood to own a business. Erica’s Kitchen was founded on my desire to have complete control of my ingredients. I wanted them to be organic/sustainable and come from the local farmers and food artisans who work so hard to produce the highest-quality food possible. At this moment in time, it is imperative that we know where our food comes from—that it has been produced sustainably and in harmony with Mother Earth. We must support the small local farms, for without them we will certainly be in trouble.
I travel in and around the Hudson Valley region of New York State to the farmers and food artisans whose bounty dictates what I will be cooking on any given day. Food to me is beautiful, whether it is a Pineapple or Cherokee Purple variety of heirloom tomato, or a mix of just-picked micro lettuces, I cannot help but fall in love with my ingredients. Eating is an act of pleasure, in which all five senses should be engaged and stimulated. It is my heartfelt intention to provide each and every individual I feed with a moment of pleasure and connection to the earth that sustains us.
