Chef Spotlight: Esther

Welcome to this week's spotlight. Our featured chef this week is Esther. She said her daughter kept taking pictures of her, so she got annoyed and that explains her picture. I think it's cute, myself. :)

Name
Esther Faleafa

Where are you from?
I grew up mostly in Utah with a couple years in Virginia thrown in for fun, then lived in Oregon for a few years when my daughter was tiny, and moved back to Utah in 2003. (I love Oregon! My in-laws live up there and it is gorgeous!)

Why did you join What's in {Your} Oven?
Mary Ellen asked. hehe. Really, I love to cook and try new recipes, but have been in a rut. I keep finding things I'm allergic to, so it gets discouraging to try new things. Now I stick with mostly "safe" foods and ingredients, just prepared in a new way. (Preparing things in a new way can be scary. Kudos to you!)

Who do you cook for?
My husband and daughter. And I make milk for the baby. :P Sometimes I cook for my sister and her family, and whenever my parents are in town, we have them over for dinner. Oh, and my in-laws. We take dinner to them once in a while.

What kind of food do you like?
I like food. There is a reason I am fat, y'all. Mexican and Italian and pizza used to be my favorites, but they're not as fun without cheese or dairy at all. (No dairy..I can see how that could present a problem!)

What do you hope to get out of participating in "What's in {Your} Oven"?
more stuff to put in the rotation so we don't get so bored, as well as making my hubby and kids try something new every week. even if I have to bow out of a week's challenge, I decided I would still make something new that week. this week, I made the chicken waffle pot pie Mary Ellen posted during the chicken challenge (totally delish; I left a comment about it), and a couple nights later, a coconut cream pie that was dairy free and totally yummy.

Thank you for your participation in the blog. Getting out of a rut is exactly what we are aiming to do here at What's in {Your} Oven?. I'm sure your creativity and perspectives on cooking with allergies will be a great help to our other chefs. We are glad to have you here!