For as long as I can remember, food has been a welcome and constant occupant of my mind.  Asking my mom what my very first word other than the garbled baby speak of ‘mama’ and ‘dada’, she answers with a smirk “It was ‘cheese’.”

Sounds about right.

For me, food is all about love and a good chunk of love revolves pretty closely around food.  I have grown up cooking for the people in my life whether at home for my family, away at university for my roommates, or in my wee little apartment for my friends and hubs.  Their constant support of my tasty hobby which I initially attributed to their desire not to cook and my eagerness to be in the kitchen 24/7 led to me auditioning for and ultimately winning Season 3 of MasterChef Canada!  Since then, I have been so blessed to be able to pursue my passion for food through catering, confections, recipe development, and as a Cooking Expert on CTV's Your Morning, The Social, and The Marilyn Denis Show.

From those early days to now, food has only become more central to my life.  The quiet joy of standing by a stove slowly stirring risotto or, knife in hand, chopping onions as sulfury tears roll down my face gives me such a sense of calm satisfaction... well, until I look in the mirror and see that my makeup is halfway down my face and I look like a teenager who just lost the title of prom queen!  

For me, everything in the kitchen just seems to make sense - from the super nerdy chemistry of baking to the caveman-esque way a steak sizzles, spits, and pops as you cook it.  What’s more, cooking is inherently about sharing and that is why A Small Stove exists.  Recipes, like food, should be shared.  I've developed A Small Stove to act as a place for me to offer up some of me and mine's all-time favourite recipes in hopes that you and yours will give them a try and share in food and good company in your own kitchen.

In addition to recipes, I also have created a space where I can let you in on my go-to places to eat both in Toronto and around the world.  My hope for Mary Eats is that it will help you all find that perfect plate of food you've been craving while acting as a little running diary for myself, helping me remember every tasty morsel I enjoy on my restaurant adventures.

Well, I think that's it!  I hope you will excuse any brevity when it comes to the writing in my posts.  A Small Stove is first and foremost about food and the slightly indescribable way that I unabashedly adore it.  

Now, let's eat!

xM

"If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff" - Remy, Ratatouille