How did I get here??

My family has been unreasonably obsessed with food for the last century. Our food story began in the Russian empire with great-grandpa Max, a Jewish boy sold into indentured servitude as a farmhand. Max eventually immigrated to Long Island, NY, and did the only thing he knew how to do - work with fruits and vegetables. He valued fresh, good produce and passed that appreciation on to his children. My grandma, Corky Pollan, worked at Gourmet Magazine and wrote two cookbooks with her daughters - my mom Lori and aunts Tracy and Dana Pollan. My uncle, Michael Pollan, writes about the intersection of food and culture. All 21 cousins, aunts, and uncles eat lunch, thinking about what’s for dinner. Mealtime is the axis on which our days turn.

Naturally, I had no interest in going into this profession! I love cooking - why ruin the fun by turning it into a job?? But the stream of life kept gently pushing me towards the food industry. As a teenager, I always waitressed, farmed, or worked at sandwich counters. My first full-time writing job was at a food magazine. Then, in the most serendipitous turn of events last year, I was offered a job as an assistant to the legendary cook Ina Garten. My partner and I picked up and moved to… Long Island (who woulda thought?). A century of food comes full circle.