Hey there world, I'm Laura La Bonte. I live, eat, work, and play in wonderful Boston, MA with my loving Boyfriend. My Apicius came about because one night at dinner Boyfriend joked that I thought way too much about all things food.
I have to admit, I'm no gourmet and I've never taken a cooking class. I was a vegetarian for 7 years, I now eat meat (thank you for bringing me back to the land of omnivores, Boyfriend!), I don't have a "favorite" food, and I rarely cook the same thing twice. My culinary abilities are heavily influenced by my mother, an amazing woman and a natural in the kitchen.
I try my hardest to practice sustainability and I strongly support the farm-to-table concept. I'm a proud member of a local CSA, Stillman's Farm, where I get fresh local produce all summer and meat all year. I like to bake my own bread and make my own cheese... well.... at least when I have the time.
I don't tend to follow recipes very well as I am more of a "taste-season-repeat" type of cook than a "measure things" type of cook. The biggest problem with this is that my inability to properly measure ingredients makes me a TERRIBLE baker.
I know, I know, I know... You're thinking, "Laura, this is an easy fix, just use measuring spoons"... but hey, I'm a scientist and I like to experiment. It's what I've been trained to do! And if that last sentence threw you a little, yes, I am a scientist. Lab coat and all.
And in case you were wondering: The Apicius is one of the oldest cookbooks in the world. It came to us via ancient Rome (me too! Well... sort of... and we're from Sicily... but still! Its close-ish). The goal of my apicius is to share my passion for food, wine, and entertaining with my family, friends, and of course, you.
And, just to throw it out there, I also welcome opportunities for recipe development, product reviews (kitchen gadgets, cookware and appliances), and foodie-related events and appearances.
