As a Culinary Adventurist, getting my hands into food before it gets onto the plate comes naturally. I spit-roasted my first whole pig at age 8, harvested hazelnuts in Italy, butchered a lamb at a ranch in Australia, spent a summer splitting open live lobsters at a traveling pop-up kitchen in The Netherlands, and visit a small vineyard along the central California coast to make wine and olive oil each year. I'm determined to find the elusive white truffle in my lifetime. I hold a deep appreciation for cultural traditions in food, and my favorite simple pleasure is sharing a meal al fresco.