Rebecca Thomas Snyder

After co-creating and running kybecca wine bar & shop and basically spending most of time around food, wine and beer, what do I like to do with my time off? Cook, eat and drink. I love food, and even more it is the preparation I care so much about. I enjoy getting geeky about finding top-quality ingredients, reading (and collecting) cookbooks, visiting local farms, thinking about what I am going to make, pairing it with wine or beer, cooking, and eating it with family and friends. It’s the process that consumes and delights me. Cooking relaxes me and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Food is love. I know every diet book tries to convince us otherwise, but I don’t buy it. Food nourishes and enriches our lives in myriad ways. Old family recipes connect us to our past and our up-bringing. New recipes gives us a window into other cultures and delight us with novel flavors. I favor recipes using real food, and a simple, recognizable presentation style. No stacking, foams, or molds; I leave that type of presentation to chefs. Every dish I prepare is personal and is meant to reflect the affection I have for its recipients.

My influences continue to develop as I read and expand my horizons. Inspiration can come from anywhere; books, friends, something tried at a restaurant, a tv program, and blogs just to name a few. My biggest influence remains my mother, who loved cooking and found shelter from life’s difficulties in the kitchen. While our relationship was not always easy, I always loved to eat her food and hear her talk about her latest interest. She showed me how to be creative and pushed me to expand my palate. She passed away in 2004; I miss her and her wonderful food.

What I have learned is that cooking is like many things in life, it’s about learning to enjoy the process.