“When my family lived in India, the food was great, but we were pretty desperate for Italian food that actually tasted Italian,” Emily explains. A fortuitous magazine review in Delhi finally provided the clues they needed to track down some real Italian cuisine. That restaurant soon became her family’s top choice. “Our favorite dish was their tomato bruschetta appetizer,” she says.

After Emily’s family moved back to the U.S., however, they still longed for the tastes left behind. To satisfy their cravings, Emily and her sister created their own scrumptious version of Bruschetta Pomodoro, which was featured in the August/September 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures. 

Like father, like daughter
“My dad is an expert with flavors and seasonings,” Emily says. She gives him credit for teaching her most of her culinary skills. She adds, however, that her whole family is crazy about food.  “My parents raised me vegetarian in the South—no small feat! And we all love ethnic dishes.”

Too much of a good thing
Growing up surrounded by cooking talent was great for developing Emily’s own prowess in the kitchen. But one day that wealth of example became a bit of a problem. “When I met my husband, I didn’t know how to make a frozen pizza because my family always made everything from scratch,” she says. “I put it in the oven with the cardboard still on the bottom and nearly caused a fire.”

Designer dreams
Right now Emily is a freelance graphic designer with her own business, Emerald Twilight Design. “I like being a graphic designer quite a bit,” she says, “but I’ve always dreamed of writing and illustrating children’s books, or books of poetry—or being a recording artist—because I love words, pictures and music."

Whether designing art, music or food, however, Emily doesn’t settle for less than the best. “I usually experiment with everything until it’s a success.”