About

Growing up, I was never taught to open a can of something beyond tuna. The only box that came out of a freezer was the one that has ice cream cake in it. The microwave was a decoration that was mainly used for heating water and popping popcorn. Heck, take-out and delivery were considered rarities and were more of a treat than part of the norm. Nowadays, I love a lazy day where I don’t have to cook every once in a while, but I find myself itching for more and more time in the kitchen.

The Truth: Once you become excited and interested about something, you want to do it more. You try to set dedicated time for it, whether it is everyday or twice a week. I don’t frown upon people who are never in the kitchen, but I realized that most people need to become excited by cooking and stop taking the easy way out. They need to see that there is something worthwhile to get into the kitchen for. I can tell you for me, money was a driving factor, and eventually that grew to become a love and passion, which I am looking to now share.

The Personal Truth: I am here to give you the tools, the insight and the knowledge to get in the kitchen and make simple and flavorful food. I want to inspire you to use the things (cooking methods, ingredients, etc) in a different light so that you understand how to use them time and time again. I want to give value into products and ingredients and cooking methods so people can understand why they should or should not do something and when they cook. I want people to look at my recipes and say, I think I could actually make that…then actually go make it…AND actually enjoy it. All three of those parts are so crucial because without one another, none of them will work.

The Professional 411: A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, I earned an Associates in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor’s in Food Marketing. With a journalism background as well, I wrote for award-winning newspapers in high school and college and decided to continue my passion for food and writing by creating various recipes and menus in several restaurants across Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York alongside my freelancing as a personal chef. After transitioning away from the kitchens, I worked at Trader Joe’s for nearly 2 years before beginning my journey towards more marketing and eventually creating this blog in October 2013.

Goooooooaaaaaaalllllllllll: I know many people may find it hard to believe, but food that is easy to execute, full of delicious flavor and maybe (every once in a while or more) packed full of nutrients and healthy goodness is quite accessible to everyone. I can’t say it is easy because I have the years of experience that make it easier. But without complicated recipes and with fresher and simple ingredients, basic methods of cooking, some creativity and kitchen magic, (and lots of fun) you too can be on your way to making simple and flavorful food!

What the What is With This Name: The name of this blog comes from a silly idea I came up with one night.  “It tastes like chicken” is a term many people would use when trying a new food because chicken can have this neutral, plain taste and texture that is comparable with a lot. When I realized I wanted to just write and create recipes geared towards simple, flavorful food, I thought to myself, if I never made this before, what would it taste like? Would it taste like chicken? Of course vegetarians and vegans may have no clue what I am talking about, but the idea is something that they can hopefully relate to because seemingly everyone has heard of it. In addition, that is what I am trying to do with DITLC?: A little bit of something for everyone.

Twitterverse: Or should it be the Chickenverse? The Cluck Cluck is a section where you will find my twitter feed streamed to the site. You can follow me on Twitter (@DoesItTaste) or click the link on the top right hand corner for some funky, random, and of course foodie related content that won’t always be featured here. I often re-post a lot of what is going on in the food world today from insightful peers, chefs, companies , institutions, and organizations that are shaping the food world we live in.

The Giblets: Giblets are all the delicious, random extras that get packaged with the chicken. Sometimes people consider them a waste because they don’t know how to use them properly. They can be used to make stuffings, gravies and for those who know how to use the liver, pates and mousses.

As funky as it sounds, I decided to call my Instagram feed The Giblets because a lot of the pictures I have posted are extras. They are fun and funky foodie photos that I have taken that may not go anywhere on my blog, but that I would love to share. Sometimes by giving it that “flare” that Instagram can offer with filters, I can give life to a photo that would otherwise sit on my camera roll. Often though, I just truly want to share the beauty of food as is and Instagram is a great way to get pictures out there and see food up close and personal. Whether it is some prep work I am doing or a dish at a restaurant I ate at, all the delicious random extras will come popping up “The Giblets.”