Tricia

The kitchen is where I practice alchemy—through tarts, soups, stir frys, cakes, and pies, I am constantly amazed by the transformative power of a few simple ingredients. I especially have a soft spot and knack for baking. I’ve been told I was born with a wooden spoon (or was it a whisk?) in my hand, with my memories of first helping in the kitchen going back to the age of four.

It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realized why the kitchen was important for me. I had moved clear across the country by myself for grad school to pursue a Master in Fine Arts and Design. After long days in the studio working on traditional graphic design concepts, I would find myself in the kitchen releasing pent up passion that could only be expressed through something as simple as a cookie or grand as a sacher torte. I was making up for the disconnect I was feeling in my studies with another form of communication: food.

This was how my concept of Eating Design evolved. I found myself problem solving all sorts of issues and ideas while I measured and dipped, stirred and tasted. I was applying design-thinking in the kitchen and to a larger extent, through events. Interested in seeing if others related to food in this way, I started projects like Pietopia and the Favorite Meal series—connecting people with themselves and with others through the action of eating and food.

I believe in celebrating our commonality, learning from our individuality, experiencing our stories: everybody eats.

I am a baker, eating designer, holistic health coach, photographer, writer, blogger, and food-lover. I revel in tastes and textures, smells and colors, and come up with my best ideas when I can put my hands to good use.