Food glorious Food

My earliest childhood memories are of growing up in my parents' restaurant in Duxbury, MA in the 1960s.  Whether serving my mom's homemade corn bread tableside at age 6 or just enjoying the wonderful fare, my brothers and I had a unique childhood.   A lively piano bar, menus on tri-pod chalk boards, the 1st buffet style service in the area and the most excellent chefs who'd come and go and teach my father more than Cornell Hotel School ever did, all made for fabulous fun.  

My mother - a fabulous baker and chef in her own right, Peyton Horne, wrote a local paper's recipe column - Peyton's Pantry.  My father, David Wells, was the Food & Beverage Manager of the Ritz Carlton, Boston for a couple of years. Imagine the surprise of the conservative patrons when he showed up to run Thanksgiving dinner dressed as a Pilgrim!  "We are not amused..." said one Brahmin, but I sure was.

As early as 7th grade, instead of your usual diorama for a class project, I was bringing in my handy electric frying pan to demonstrate Veal Piccata to my French class. Probably the 1st and last time someone was allowed to flambe in Mrs. Johnson's classroom!

For 4 summers, I was lucky enough to work at the Club Car on Nantucket where I was a cocktail waitress and witnessed the nightly creations of a master chef, Michael Shannon.  

Nowadays, our 2 kids and their friends refer to my kitchen as "Seli's Deli" and I love making and serving food. Whether it's simple bar treats to have on hand for them or a ladies brunch or salad bar night or a casserole for dinner, I love to cook because I love to eat and feed others. Food doesn't have to be fancy to please, but it is a surefire way to bring people together.