Local Domestic Goddess Mommies

Like many others, I played the lottery last week in the hopes I would win $640 million.

Yes, I would quit my job and buy a big house etc., etc. But there’s something I would do before all of that: I would pack up my family, rent villas in Tuscany and Provence and learn how to cook!

I would learn how to make fresh pasta and pizza in Italy followed by blissful months in France where I would perfect the croquembouche and pain au chocolat. Alas, I did not win millions and my culinary skills are OK, but nothing spectacular.

I’m not much of a blogger. I’ve attempted it, but failed miserably. Strangely, however, I'm slightly addicted to other people’s blogs and nine times out of ten, they’re about food!

Three of my favorite food blogs happen to be ones that local moms write and I’ve found myself either constantly referring to them for recipes, drooling over their marvelous creations that I could never achieve or ordering from them because I’m too lazy to cook.  

As a Cuban American, food has always played a leading role in Jessica Garcia’s life, and in 2011 she started Cocina Capital. After leaving her job as a Senate press secretary to raise her daughter, she found she had some spare time to dedicate to her love of cooking.

Starting a blog was a chance for Garcia to combine her background in writing with her passion for cooking.

“My hope is by documenting the recipe process using photos and explaining the preparation, readers will be less intimidated by cooking or attempting a new dish,” Garcia explains.

I love how eclectic Jessica’s recipes are from a simple chocolate pudding to a traditional Cuban Ropa Vieja. Food "porn" is the only way to describe her photographs and delicious pretty much sums up all her recipes.

Speaking of "food porn," I am admittedly and whole-heartedly jealous of Paola Domenge’s Couture Cupcakes. I tried to have a cupcake business but it was another thing I failed miserably at. Why?? Because of talented domestic goddesses like Paola!

She started her blog in 2006 when given the task to create a vibrant ad for the Tiny Jewel Box. The ad was to showcase a large and striking diamond ring and Paola envisioned a beautiful ornate cupcake with the ring on top.

She spent a weekend teaching herself how to make sugar flowers and decorate wedding cakes; the ad was a huge success. She continued baking, decorating and teaching herself the craft of refined gourmet cakes and now shares her experiments through her blog.

I asked Domenge how she balances motherhood with work and she said, “I call my baking times 'arts and crafts for Mommy.' My little one watches and I am hoping he is learning. Maybe one day he will be able to contribute his masterpieces.”

And for all the moms out there that don’t have an ounce of domestic goddess in them, there’s Kat Basile of KitchKat. Basile concocted her business in 2009 when she discovered that her busy friends were sick of fast food—complaining  it was a waste of money and usually unhealthy.  

Basile decided to create weekly menus that she would send out to her friends and asked them to forward it to their friends. Her options were cheaper, more convenient and healthier than take out. 

Nearly three years later, many of her original clients still order from KitchKat every Monday. She includes her daughter in her love of cooking and even takes her to the grocery store so they can explore and learn about food together.

When I asked Basile why she chose the food industry as her business she said, "When I am bored I play food games in my head and create my dream salad or think about my top ten favorite chicken dinners. Food is what makes me happy—and I don't even have to be eating it!”

We all have to eat and I love that these moms have made cooking and baking their passion and blogging, their creative outlets.

As Basile said, “Food feeds my soul."