I started Petit Appetit because I feel it is important to start children off with good eating habits and would like parents to pay as much attention to their child's palate and health as they do their own. As a Mom, I try to provide the best of everything for my children's health and development, while still maintaining my family's lifestyle, values and traditions.
Living in the Bay Area we have access to a large variety of fresh organic foods grown locally and I hope to educate parents and families to expose children to these foods, farms, growers, restaurants and markets. While cooking for children, teaching parents, and recipe testing in my own kitchen, I have been fortunate to be able to publish my experience, recipes and tips in cookbooks to reach more families beyond the Bay Area.
As a contributor to many online sites and magazines (OrganicToBe, iVillage, Mommy Track'd) I also advocate for the use of organic foods when cooking for children to reduce the potential risks of pesticide and chemical exposure. I am a past Board President for Leah's Pantry, a nonprofit organization providing nutrition and cooking education to families, kids, and seniors living in transitional housing communities and shelters.
Whether teaching mom's groups, creating new recipes, advocating for organic food, judging my kids food competitions, or cooking at home, I think of meals and food preparation as a social time to nourish not only the body but also the relationships of family, friends and community.