Meet Chef Jessica Formicola. A former psychotherapist and college professor, now foodie extraordinaire. The first post was published in 2011 and it’s been a rollercoaster ever since.
Exploring the kitchen began as a passion when our fertility journey started. I needed a hobby that kept my mind off of the grueling schedule at the doctor’s office and ominous “2-week wait”. A journey that ultimately led us to 2 beautiful kids, but took 7 years, 17 rounds, 5 miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy along the way.
My husband and I cherish time with family, cozy meals and conversation around the table, so when we formed a group of friends that were also transplants and made a dinner club. Two birds, one stone!
Only, we were the only hosts every Sunday for dinner. In hindsight, trying out new recipes on a group of hungry friends wasn’t the smartest decision, but we had fun. Sundays ranged from 4 people all the way up to 14. Guests starting asking me for the recipes and I was the worst offender at not following a recipe.
One day at work a patient failed to show for their appointment so I Googled “how to start a blog” and started to chronicle the recipes I adapted. I’ll never forget the day that I realized other people were looking at these recipes… this was long before Instagram or even Facebook pages.
My first client was a small jam company and I thought I had made it big time! This was followed up by winning a competition for Best Brunch Recipes in Better Homes and Gardens using my family’s Sticky Buns recipe and then becoming a contributor for Parade magazine.
Fast forward and now I’m written or been featured in 100+ national publications, certified by Le Cordon Bleu as a recipe developer, serve as an AllRecipes allstar, authored two cookbooks, appear regularly on TV and was even nominated for an Emmy for my work on Plate It! Baltimore as a food judge.
