About Me

summer bulgur-heirloom tomato salad

I have always loved food (as you can see in the photo above). I was raised in Cardiff, California, with a bountiful garden and I was (and still am) always on the lookout for ripening produce in the yard. In the photo I’m sniffing some blackberries. Blackberries are as quintessential to Summer as going to the beach for me. Since I can remember I have been picking them to smash into vanilla ice cream, make pies or jams with, feed my bunny so she looked like she had lipstick on, or simply enjoy on their own. We also grow mangos, nectarines, guavas, plums, figs, pomegranates, grapefruit, oranges, blueberries, eggplant, passion fruit, lemons, limes, apples, beans, tomatoes and lettuces. So no matter what time of year, we have at least one kind of fruit to enjoy fresh from the garden which I think has enhanced my relationship with food and cooking.

I come from a long line of food fanatics. My great grandmother and namesake, Domenica, made all of her own pastas and sauces when she came over from Italy. My great grandfather made the wine and they owned a dairy and a small general store where they sold dairy products and other produce from their farm. Domenica would cook family style for their 17 farm workers. On the other side, my great grandparents owned a cherry tomato farm. My Nonno (grandpa) is a self-proclaimed “fruit freak” and carries jalapeños with him at all times, he is also known for being able to pick the best melon around.

My mom and I started cooking together when I was in high school and we still try to combine forces whenever we get a chance. We aim to keep meals on the lighter, healthier side during the week but we also love a good pasta meal. My dad grills a few nights a week since it’s pretty much always good grilling weather in SoCal.

I’ve been practicing yoga for 10 years but really decided to dedicate myself to it last year when I did my teacher training. I now teach all over San Diego county and continue to learn and grow from this beautiful, ancient practice and all the people I get to share it with.

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