About

 

About me

Welcome!  I am Carole and I write this blog.  Here's a little bit about who I am and why I am here. 

 

Cooking and food adventures are in my DNA.  My grandmother was a cantankerous cook in the rough and tumble logging camps of Oregon.  And my mother traded in a successful banking career for a chef’s coat in extreme outposts on the Alaskan pipeline.

Of course, I wanted no part of such a hard life, but I still kept my hand in the game by carving out a niche as a party planner and caterer.  

 

Once my children were raised an irresistible itch for adventure set in and I was off.  For ten years I traveled internationally as a dedicated and tireless chef onboard mega yachts, on remote private islands and in foreign countries―irrefutable evidence that I could not deny my own destiny.

I have flirted with plenty of food tangents from cooking instructor, baker and food writer, to food stylist, boutique wine distributor and resident ‘food expert’ for a national retailer.  I’ve dabbled in regional sustainability movements and I avidly support farmers’ markets.

Now, I am back in the fertile foothills of Oregon and I have reclaimed my family roots.  I’ve returned with a deeper appreciation for local foods and a commitment to support the re-emergence of small farms and food producers.  I also returned to college to brush up on sustainability matters and stayed to receive a BA from the University of Oregon in Humanities with a Food and Culture focus.  It’s never too late to learn.

 

About the blog

Culinary Distractions cooks up entertaining commentaries on food and culture, interspersed with a mélange of well tested recipes.   Curious food trends, unique products/commodities, and uncommon cuisines certainly hold sway here, but a core Culinary Distractions precept remains that less trumps more. 

 

True eloquence is found in the simple implementation of quality foods and ingredients.  Our scrutiny drifts toward the farm-to-table processes of thoughtful growing, marketing and preparation of great food―and ultimately, sharing those experiences with others.