Phillips - Allys Kitchen: A Passport for Adventurous Palates

i do this for~

Mom ~ always way ahead of her time in culinary talent and so many other areas ~ you gave me this passion for cooking, entertaining, and being resourceful. Spending countless hours together in our shoebox kitchen in the hills of Appalachia, I learned the art of being bohemian and serving up exceptional eats. Today, when anyone asks whats for dinner, I still echo your words: Hog ass and hominy grits ~ meaning: Youll eat whatevers on the table and like it.

heartfelt thanks to~

My sisters, Kathryn and Mary Ellen: Long ago, my imagination was purely foddered by spending immeasurable time in the mountains playing with you. Thank you for always being there for me and having our common love of King Wensels Palace ~ a magical place that gave us a passport around the world.

Noni, my surrogate Italian mother for half a century and now 92 years young: Youre always showing me how to keep that adventurous spirit alive.

The remarkable women along my path of life who have given me not only cooking lessons, but life lessons: Grandma Cook ~ Im named after you, and the hours spent in your kitchen as a child seared treasures in my mind; Mama Helen ~ for always cooking and sharing your amazing cast-iron skillets and recipes; Mama Jo ~ you sparked my crusade to make the perfect Bolognese for my boys and it has become award-winning; Dr. Ruth T. Wellman, my beloved college professor and my lifelong friend who gave me more than academia ~ you gave your wisdom, life experiences, and wonderful cooking; and Georgia, my Greek surrogate big sis since I was ever so young and exceptionally impressionable ~ you truly opened to me the world of Camelot.

My food seekers who over the many years helped me hone my skills: My boys Matthew, Andrew, and Nicholas, for whom I cooked thousands of meals while raising them, and yes, Michael, my second son, who is my angel tastetester; my big and growing family; and our amazing friends in South Carolina and Colorado, especially Sally ~ when Im there, you drop by two to three times a day and youre always ready to taste. Thank you all for trying just about anything I created for dinners and holidays, or when you dropped by just in time to eat. You were either very hungry or the food was really good.

Nan ~ my very best and trusted friend for life: Youve always believed in me, encouraged me, and pushed me to stick my head above the crowd regardless of the shots taken, to go for the competitions and share my culinary talents with others. Whatever I serve you elicits big smiles and giggles, and I get giddy when you savor a bite and say in all seriousness: Its better than communion or The little hairs on the back of my neck are tingling.

Whitney Messervy ~ my yogini, webmeister, little sister, soul-sister, and trusted friend in this Allys Kitchen adventure: You keep me young, you make me laugh, you believe. We share the ups and downs of blogger world and a mutual vision for taking this dream to higher and higher peaks. Youre in the trenches with me! Soon well be dusting off our boots for more Boho adventures and Im so thankful youre there every step of the way.

Kim Bultman ~ my behind-the-scenes wordsmith ~ you questioned me, challenged me, corrected, and revised. For that, and for your many imaginative ideas and creative contributions to this cookbook far beyond the editing process, Im eternally grateful. Your strengths offset my weaknesses during this entire process.

Rosemary DeGange ~ Youre helping to steer this cookbook in so many ways, not the least of which is the actual tour ~ keeping all our ducks in a row, finding and securing venues, and championing the Boho magic carpet world of eats thats to unleash very soon. It was my lucky day when I won the Dole California Cook-Off and you came into my life.

My global and stateside virtual foodie friends and food lovers on social media who have followed, supported, and believed in my shenanigans for the past three years: Continually asking when I was going to do a cookbook was a major jetpack of fuel to get me started. The sprawling world of food has erupted in my kitchen as youve shared your cultures, recipes, and food legacies with me, and Im grateful to you all ~ especially Naima (Nanou), Larry, Azlin, Shabnam, Victoria, and Natasha. I treasure dining at your boholicious worldwide web tables every day.

Laurie ~ an avid foodie, a cookbook collector, and the first to read this manuscript outside of our small circle of trust: You noted its immense potential and cutting-edge format, and your spiritual copy of this cookbook will be shipped via angel wings.

Cedar Fort Publishing ~ Thank you for believing in my vision of a nomadic foodie cookbook. Im especially grateful to Hannah Ballard, who helped ignite its birth. To Rozelle, Meagan, Rodney, Justin, Lauren, Michelle, and everyone who touched the manuscript or sifted through thousands of my photos looking for that perfect one ~ thank you.

JHP Photography ~ Jacqueline ~ a young 20-year-old girl, an artist and photographer, a friend Ive known since you were just a kid: Watching you emerge with your artistry has been a gift. You saw things as you worked with me on this cookbook that only a sage skilled eye would see. You are way ahead of your time and have a magnificent career ahead of you!

Finally, and most importantly, to my boyfriend, lover, and husband, Ben: Usually, when you taste one of my new dishes, you say, Best thing Ive ever eaten... well, since last night. However, youre honest when you say some recipes need more work, and if I disagree I usually say your taste buds must be impaired! What fun were having on this crazy magic carpet as we rocket through our third chapters of life ~ from experiencing real Russian food at Vladimir and Tatianas home in St. Petersburg, toting a picnic of crusty bread, cheese, and wine to the salt mines, searching for my family and roots in Dinik, dining our way through adventures abroad, hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim with kettle chips hooked to my backpack, riding the Harley and discovering some of the best diner food all over America ~ to being my sous chef at food competitions, and more ~ yes, youre always there to pick me up, eat the leftovers, and make me run faster and jump higher. Our dream that started with having fun is now an unbelievable reality for us both.

some notes for my readers~

• Everyones palate is different, so adjust and adapt these recipes and ingredient amounts to your liking.
• In my boho culinary world, your rules trump ~ make each recipe with your own branding ~ you are the goddess or general of your kitchen.
• Cooking is about sharing your soul, spirit, and love ~ itll ooze through in so many ways ~ continue sharing with others.
• The language of love comes in breaking bread with friends and family ~ make it part of each day.
• All appliances, like ovens, are different, and things like altitude affect cooking ~ make these adjustments as you journey through my recipes.
• One goal of this cookbook was to use ingredients that would be easily accessible to most everyone regardless of where you live. All can be found either at your local grocer or on the Internet ~ yes, I have to order special things like pearl sugar.