Life of Spice

I grew up all over New England, eating lots of TV dinners, canned vegetables, frozen breaded scallops, pizza spins and other prepared foods as a child. Once on my own at college, I busted out of the freezer and began making dinner for housemates, discovering the many joys of the culinary world, eating well, and sharing love and friendship by cooking for others. Now I try to live a life full of food and fun—spicy.

This site is mostly a place to park recipes I want access to when traveling, or that others have requested I share. But it also includes other goodies (some of which are quite outdated though).

I have been lucky enough to have many culinary adventures including: 

• • Created and maintain the Serving Boulder web site—the most comprehensive list of all the restaurants that have ever been in Boulder, CO. 

  • 12 years on—or chairing—the restaurant committee of Boulder's Taste of the Nation event, 1993-2005.

  • Being a member of Slow Food Boulder since 1997 (on the steering committee for eight years in the beginning. Back again in a limited role in 2025, post retirement).

  • Helping out with the Flatiron Food Film Festival from it's inception in 2013 to 2022 when it ended.

  • Going on restaurant reviews with the Rocky Mountain News for seven years—starting in 2007— and even went on a few with the Boulder Business Report, Daily Camera and Colorado Daily.

  • A week at cooking school in Tuscany in 1999.

  • Kitchen experimentation from 2003-2011 with a friend via "Laura and Pennie's Quarterly Culinary Adventures"

  • Many soft openings, judging at contests, and involvement in other food events thanks to the food writers, critics and chefs I know. I am very lucky that local food poobah - and all-around great guy - John Lehndorff is a good friend - really more like family.

  • Securing my fifteen minutes of fame, when I won a food trivia game show called "Trivia Unwrapped" on the Food Network in 2003. As well, I was on camera for the Denver episode of the Food Network's "Bizarre Foods" which aired Feb. 18, 2013, and at (but not on camera) a Food Network televised Hot Luck party.

  • Hosting evening food truck parties at a local park from 2012-2021, once a month from May to October, with six trucks as the norm. (organized food trucks at CU's east campus from 2011-2012 until CU's Food Service shut them down due to competition).

I'm an avid cook, have done a bit of catering, taught a few cooking classes, and have been writing a cookbook on how to use herbs, spices and other flavorings for many years...maybe someday I’ll publish it. 

Although most of my culinary activities have been outside the daily paycheck, I have enjoyed a few paid gigs including recipe development and marketing/PR for natural food companies. Sometimes, for fun, I put together people in the Boulder food world if I think they should be connected....a cookbook publisher dubbed me a culinary empresario.

My real jobs? I've worked in marketing, promotions, PR and administration for several industries: Ski, hi-tech, natural products and aerospace. I am now happily retired.

I hope this site will bring a little spice into your life.

Mangi la vita,

Laura