About the Author

October 31st is a day I will never forget.  Today, October 31st, 2012 is the 11th anniversary of my father’s diagnosis of cancer. I was by his side as he awoke from the endoscopic procedure, which revealed the diagnosis of esophageal cancer.

He was a person who loved life.  His wit and incredible dry sense of humor—always caused those in his presence to laugh.  As a writer, reader and movie buff he always had a pen in hand, a typewriter nearby, the TV movie program on his bedside along with his books.  The last books I remember my father reading were by the author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who created the wonderful and infamous fictional detective character, Sherlock Holmes and the popular biography of John Adams written by David McCullough, published that year. When we were in NYC, my father would inevitably recognize and point out to all of us a writer or actor of notoriety amongst the crowd, whether we were dining in a restaurant, walking in the street, through a museum or attending a theatre or opera production.

As a college student he had a radio program—as a young adult he recorded audio books on tape for the visually impaired—and 4 months before his diagnosis my father travelled back and forth between Princeton and Newark, New Jersey for the filming of A Beautiful Mind , in which he was an extra with prominent presence.  I remember him telling us the story of the filming of the last scene in which there were almost 100 takes.  John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) was receiving the Nobel Prize in Economics—my father was prominently placed next to his wife, Alicia Nash the leading lady (played by Jennifer Connelly).  When Ron Howard learned of my father’s diagnosis, he arranged for my father and his family to have a private showing of the movie in NYC. After the movie, during that blustery winter day, I remember going with my father to Cornell for a bone marrow biopsy–which revealed the devastating diagnosis of metastatic disease.

My father always enjoyed eating great food—savoring his food as he ate.  He always loved coming to my home, especially to see his grandson and granddaughter and also to enjoy eating wonderful meals together that I, his physician daughter, the foodie, prepared.

It is ironic and sad that one of the things that gave my father such pleasure in life—Eating–was also the one thing he had trouble doing during the last few months of his life. By the time of his diagnosis, he was already having some difficulty swallowing.

I dedicate this blog to my father, to everyone in the world fighting cancer, to those in remission and for all who strive to live healthier lives—-searching for wonderful tasting smelling and aesthetically pleasing healthy and nutritious recipes.

My love of food and cooking began at a very early age.  I had the wonderful experience of watching and helping my Austrian grandmother in the kitchen throughout my childhood and young adulthood.  My life experiences cooking, eating amazing food from cuisines around the world and my academic and clinical training as a physician, has allowed me the opportunity to integrate my interest in paying attention to the science behind the healthfulness of different foods with the satisfaction and pleasure of creating a wide variety of wonderful tasting nutritious recipes to a sophisticated culinary standard.

Thank you for visiting and discovering exciting, delicious and nutritious recipes for healthy eating.