About me

After tweaking recipes and learning a little about cooking and baking over the years, I thought it might be fun to chronicle my adventures in a blog. This is my space to share what I’ve tried, what has worked and what hasn’t, as well as ask for your candid feedback. It’s a journey I’m intrigued by and hope you’ll enjoy the ride alongside me. When cooking, I research recipes to determine how I want to proceed. I start with one or two (sometimes a lot more) recipes as a base or framework, and go from there. I always reference where I found the recipe and explain why I changed what I did. And I love trying to capture the colors, flavors, and essence of the dish.

A word about the name. I chose Pebbles and Toast for a variety of reasons. I have traveled across the world and have gathered many ‘pebbles’ along the way. Some of these pebbles are really small and some are rather large. These metaphorical pebbles hold valuable treasures, in the form of experiences and memories, that I hold dear.

For example, over two decades ago, while in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), I tasted hummus for the first time. I had never even heard of such a dip before; but now I enjoy the versatile ‘pebble’ all the time. Of course I’ve made hummus many times since that day in the UAE; but it’s interesting to see that you can find hummus in so many different flavor versions in grocery stores today. Even dessert hummus is available now. I’ve never had a hummus I didn’t enjoy.

When I was deployed in Iraq, I was served Moussaka and it was love at first bite. The Turkish chef didn’t understand what I was asking when I went back to find out what the lasagna-type dish was; but we finally figured it out. I had no idea how to spell it so it took a while to learn what was in it. Since then, I’ve ordered this ‘pebble’ many times across the United States and in a few restaurants in countries (like Finland) I didn’t expect to find it on the menu. Each recipe is uniquely different (just like meatloaf or chili) depending on the region I’m in and the chef’s background. However, they all have one thing in common – they’re all delicious.

A few months after starting our plant-based journey a couple years ago, my husband and I vacationed in Costa Rica. We were so worried that we wouldn’t find anything healthy to eat. We couldn’t have been more surprised and delighted. Every meal had loads of fresh vegetables and fruits. In fact, Gallo Pinto soon became our favorite dish and was served every morning at breakfast. Gallo Pinto is translated to “spotted rooster”. It’s essentially black beans and rice; but these are no ordinary black beans or rice. In Costa Rica, it’s the way they use up leftovers – rice, beans, and vegetables. But they use a very special ingredient you can’t find anywhere else – well, it is available on Amazon, of course. The secret is Lizano sauce. This bottled concoction gives the black beans and rice a deeper depth and elevated height you have to experience to understand why this instantly became a ‘pebble’ for me. Believe me, I grew up eating a lot of black beans and rice in south Florida and these are different in a very good way.

I truly enjoy trying different food from across the globe. It’s even more fun to try and recreate them in my kitchen in accordance with a plant-based diet, and using a lot less oil and salt. However, all of these incredible experiences may have opened my tasting aperture; but they never surpass the aroma of the holy grail of freshly baked bread. When I came home from school as a young child, I was served one or two thick slices of fresh whole wheat bread. My mother lovingly milled whole wheat berries into a fine flour and made the most flavorful wheat bread slathered in homemade jam or honey. Nothing comes close today. Hence the toast reference. I love freshly baked bread. There’s just nothing more divine; and nothing can take me back to the innocence of my youth faster than a freshly toasted piece of homemade wheat bread.

Here’s to the ‘pebbles’ and toast that have given me an incredible life!