My name is Christina, and I have loved food since the day I was born. Growing up in an Italian family, food was always the focal point of every party, we somehow always ended up in the kitchen. As a family, we ate dinner together almost every night, with my mom cooking. Going out to dinner was a treat – something we didn’t do very often. I learned at a young age how amazing homemade cooking could be, and the importance of sharing it with people you love. The older I got, the more I wanted to cook and bake for my family and friends.
While the other kids at school were bringing ham sandwiches or ordering that frozen pizza for lunch, my mom had either packed me a Nutella sandwich (I was way ahead of the Nutella trend), leftover chicken cutlets from the night before, or prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches. It’s funny though, I remember wishing my mom would just buy Lunchable’s like the other kids’ moms. I also remember that when I would beg her for them, she’d basically laugh in my face saying absolutely not. I am so thankful now for the way I was brought up and wouldn’t change it for the world.
Over the years, I’d always seem to land on Food Network while browsing through the channels. Back in those days, there were very few cooking shows, but whatever was on, I was drawn to their cooking and how much passion they had for food. College was when I really started cooking for myself. I’d experiment with things I saw on TV, paired with things I saw my mom do growing up. To this day, whenever I have a dinner party, there is always some sort of meat and cheese plate as people arrive, which I got from her!
My love for cooking, baking and entertaining only grew stronger over the years. I’ve picked up so many tips and tricks by watching my favorite Chefs on TV, reading cook books, and trial and error. After my corporate job turned out to be something I hated, I decided I wanted to open up a restaurant, and haven’t looked back for seven years. I had gotten a job as a busgirl at a local restaurant, to start gaining experience. Since then, I have worked in numerous restaurants as a waitress, bartender and manager. I then moved on to be an Events Director for a country club, and most recently, an Events Manager for a large Manhattan based catering company. I have a certification in Culinary Management from The Institute of Culinary Education, I have my ServSafe Food Handlers and Food Protection Managers certifications.
Creating a cookbook and starting a catering company are my ultimate goals. Until then, you all get to follow along this adventure through my Instagram and posts. I encourage you to make the recipes, and give me feedback…this is all so new to me that I need all the help I can get!
Thanks for all the love I’ve received up until now. You’re all an inspiration and the reason behind Thyme and Honey!
XO
Christina
