From Mom's Home Cooked Meals to Personal Chef

With over 25 years of experience creating gourmet family meals for her five children, Ms. Bresnan has transformed her culinary expertise into her own business endeavor! While still creating culinary masterpeices in her own South Carolina kitchen, Ms. Bresnan has expanded her talent to entering other families' kitchens in order to hold cooking classes and cater meals! On her Personal Chef facebook page, Chef Rouge55 (http://www.facebook.com/ChefRouge55), Ms. Bresnan informs future clientele that she will cook for 2 people to over 50!

"I always used cooking when I was a class Mom. I'd come into the class and we'd make things. Now I offer cooking classes in people's homes, too. It is my therapy!! I had my grand niece and nephew here for Thanksgiving and they only eat fast food and junk food and I was cringing! I had them help me with the meal....what kid doesn't want to crack an egg?! They said they hate turkey. They hate this. They hate that. Never had it in their lives! I wanted to get them to eat healthy and nutritious. I only use organic and naturally raised food. They thought the pumpkin tortellini was disgusting. I asked if they would please just try it. They wolfed it down and wanted more!"

-Marilyn Bresnan

Ms. Bresnan has created a name for herself through doing what many families do on a daily or weekly basis-- cook family dinners! As someone who can personally speak to her culinary abilities from having tasted her food, let me tell you... she is definitely someone to aspire to be!

Mexican-American Posole

Main Ingredients:

White Hominy

California chili pods

pork meat

garlic

salt

Knorr cubes

My family of origin is from Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico. I have always known that food has a very important role. We use food as a way to communicate our feelings. When my mom makes Posole, I know it is a special occasion such as a birthday, Christmas, Mother's, Father's Day, or a way to welcome people. Through my family's cooking we share love. My mom instilled in me that through food we can connect with people. In addition, practicing cooking traditional foods such as Posole, helps my family stick to our Mexican cultural roots.

In general, Posole is a very traditional soup that it is possible to believe that every Mexican family has a distinct recipe for it. Some recipes do not have the red chile pods. Some recipes are made with green chiles and tomatillos ( a green tomato like vegetable) instead of the red chile pods. Some recipes include chicken instead of pork.

Now that I am married, I always use food to convey meaning to something. It brings my husband and I together when I make him his favorite meals or bake his favorite desserts. He knows that it takes hard work to prepare a meal and therefore, conveys love. When I have my own children, I will pass on my family's recipes and share that through cooking we can also experience love. Most importantly, I will teach my children to have respect for the art of cooking because it is an art. Cooking is an expression of our souls.

Submitted by: Maira