About
(c) Mike Urban Seattle PI
Welcome to Anticiplate!
My name is Kari, and yes, that really is me in the giant pot.
I am originally from Virginia, but now live in Seattle via New York City. Ballet was my first love, of course, because I have been dancing since I was three, but, in my early twenties I started to become just as passionate about cooking. I know, ironic, considering most people think ballet dancers don’t eat. Ha! Completely un-true. I found that after a 10 hour-long day of dancing, cooking sort of relaxed me. I was a professional ballerinawith the Pacific Northwest Ballet, from 2002-2009.
My passion for food started even earlier than my ballet training, but it took a little longer to blossom. When I could only crawl, I found my way to my Mama’s huge vegetable and herb garden. She tells me I would actually eat fresh tomatoes as if they were apples. As I got older, she started taking me to “grown-up” restaurants, planting the seeds for my love of food today. And, not to mention, giving me expensive restaurant taste! Thanks Mama.
In 2004, I was constantly going out to eat in Seattle. I quickly became motivated to recreate those same flavors at home, but I had NO IDEA where to start. At first, I used the Food Network to teach me the basics (I hate to admit this), and then as I got better something instinctual started to happen inside.
I experimented with bean chili, scrambles, and soups. Nothing amazing I assure you, but a good start for someone who had no idea how to cook, really. When I decided to start this blog in April 2007, I found that my scrambles and chili started to turn in to recipes that became a bit more complex.
I have an obsession with buying new cookbooks, I find comfort in reading my favorite blogs (but I am so busy I get bad at this), and I am guilty of eating all around Seattle (and other cities) to find food that inspires me. This blog is about my exciting discoveries.
In August of 2009, I retired from ballet to pursue a full-time career in cooking. I “Staged”, or interned, for 6-8 months at Ethan Stowell’s restaurants, until I got my very first line cook job at Mistral Kitchen. As you read this blog, you will learn more about me and my new adventures in my own kitchen and in the restaurant world. In the summer of 2009, I also wrote a food blog called Summer Spoon. It kinda gives you an idea of the story of me falling in love with the kitchen.
Thanks for coming, and reading, and joining the conversation.
Kari
