Up until the very last minute of my birth, my parents were ninety-nine percent sure that I was going to be a boy. They had planned meticulously for my arrival, anticipating a bouncing bundle of joy that was to be named Jonathan. Jonathan was expected to have my father’s wry sense of humor and my mother’s gentle heart. Imagine their surprise when the moment came, and out popped a bouncing bundle of…FEMALE joy?! This was a complete...

Since before I could walk and talk, I never underestimated the fact that I could eat. Growing up with a mother who was a real estate broker but also had a lifetime passion for food and dreams of owning her own restaurant, the hospitality industry has had an influence on me from my earliest years. Ever since I can remember, so much of my days have been spent overhearing real estate terms over gourmet meals at the dinner table to...