The Gourmand & the Peasant is me, Emily Peterson, and my sometimes contributer and always husband, Mark. We live in Jersey City, NJ with our 9 year-old cat, Baby Kitten aka Chef Kitty Pants.
I’m a cook, culinary teacher, urban farmer, gardener, tv personality, and won “Best in Show” for my peanut butter cookies as a kid.
I have worked hard to combine my love of cooking with a masters degree in teaching (I was a NYC Teaching Fellow and taught middle school) and an undergrad degree in design from SUNY Purchase. As a gift to myself, for my 29th birthday, I walked away from educational administration to pursue my passion and return to my roots in the kitchen. I enrolled in culinary school and have never, ever looked back.
I grew up on the south fork of Long Island, and was raised on a family farm, surrounded by wine country, the ocean and fine dining restaurants, along with cats, dogs, chickens, rabbits and honeybees. When other kids were eating Lunchables, I was eating leftover grilled tuna salad. That took a long time to be okay with.
In 2008, I started this blog as a lifeline to the thing I wanted to do. Now, this website is an online resource for recipes, tutorials and inspiration for you to go fearlessly into your kitchen and prepare both simple and complex dishes, from meatloaf to maitake mushrooms.
The Gourmand & the Peasant is home to recipes, tutorial videos, and thoughts on food, cooking, sustainability and travel. I attended the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and am thrilled to bring a fearless approach to cooking, eating and drinking to you. While my heart lies in sustainability and the local food movement, I also recognize the value of a good imported bottle of olive oil and am always seeking new inspirations from around the globe, from France to Italy, Asia to Cajun Country.
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and your experiences in the kitchen. Be sure to sign up for the email newsletter and leave a comment while you are here.
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All the Best,
Emily, Mark, and Baby Kitten
