about

Obsession with food, Marzipan & art

High-end restaurants, kitchens and catering departments occupied years of my life when I worked in the luxury hotel industry.  I ate rich gourmet foods day in and day out until I decided it was time to change my eating habits. Why?  Short answer is that I lost a loved one to a heart attack at 40 years of age, intolerance to processed flours and compassion towards animals and our planet.  Although I am not vegan, my son and I are vegetarians and I find that preparing mostly vegan & gluten-free foods is a more interesting way to cook.  My husband hasn’t quite made the transition from being a carnivore but I expect that he will at his own pace since this lifestyle is not something that can be forced.  Most of the foods I eat and prepare are fairly healthy and this keeps my mind sharp and body young.  I do confess a weakness for sweets and I often stray to refined and unrefined sugars.  But I am okay with this because a balance in life is sweeter than the best marzipan money can buy.  Believe me when I  tell you the best Marzipan is made in a mom and pop shop in Milan.  This doesn’t mean that the Germans are not exceptional Marzipan makers because they most certainly are. So please keep that airport Marzipan coming my way German and traveling friends.  I will bow my head, open my palms and smile wide in appreciation as you hand me the box of chocolate covered Marzipan, or at least a morsel of one.

Kitchen to Nirvana, or my home kitchen, is the center of our family life. This is the place where I create or adapt recipes and write what I taste and smell. Afterwards I style and photograph the food.  To my eyes and taste buds food and art walk in linear paths. Both can move the senses in extraordinary personal ways. Did I mention German Expressionism is one of my favorite art movements?  The bold colors, the movement, the neurosis. Hopefully with food we can appreciate at least two of these attributes and leave aside the neurosis, though I can’t always promise this.  You will find that most of my recipes are fairly easy to make, hopefully nice to look at and made for busy people like you and I.

The rest of my time I spend curating art, writing, practicing yoga and teaching Gabriel about his Latin roots and the beauty of different flavors and foods. The little guy already cooks with me and I can tell that he is  fond of the fragrances left on his fingers of strawberries, shallots, chocolate, lime, garlic, herbs and all the deliciousness of life.

See my two sous chefs John and Gabriel at work in our Boston kitchen.  For my photography portfolio visit www.tabathafloresphotography.com

My email box is always open ~ tabatha@kitchentonirvana.com.

Namaste

Tabatha 

** All material on this site is copyrighted to Tabatha Flores. If you would like to use a photograph or a recipe or both,  I am extremely flattered but please ask for permission first or at least give me credit and a link back. All recipes and information on this blog are personal opinion only and not meant to diagnose or treat illness.  Please always consult your doctor about diet and ingredients.**