Who am I?

Who am I?

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Here I am at 4.

I was born in San Marcos, Texas, two months and 4 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My father, Carl Abel Smith (Dutch and French), the middle of 11 children, was born in Turkey, Texas. My mother, Nettie Ruth Cowan Smith (Irish and Scot Irish), the 4th of 12 children, was born in Wimberly, Texas. Both were from farm families who lived through the Great Depression and knew how to "eat and live off the land". Many of my "cooking roots" come from the foods they knew as farm kids and traditional Texas cooking.

After graduating from Texas Technological College (now University) with a degree in Clothing and Textiles, I married Denis James Vineys, the only son of Maxim Francis (Italian) and Eleanor Lalanne Vineys (French), all three born in San Francisco, California. They added new dimensions to my eating and cooking experience, because of the influence of the taste of California, Italy and France and the Vineys/Lalanne's great love of food and entertaining. Denis' grandfather was a well-known pastry chef in the early 1900's at renown San Francisco restaurants, such at the Mark Hopkins, Palace and St Francis Hotels.

When I married I developed a great love of cooking because I had willing subjects and objectives critics, Denis and his family and later my children, Audrey and Michael. We've had much enjoyment cooking and entertaining our friends, family and business associates of all ages and cultures.

I fondly remember my mentors from college days: Lola Tilly of the University of Alaska, Department of Home Economics, and Dr. Mina Lamb of Texas Tech, Department of Nutrition, for their inspiration.

We have met so many friends in these last 40 years who have shared with us the joys of many regional and ethnic dining experiences. From them we have learned to open our minds and relish the diversity and bounties of our planet.

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Here I am in the kitchen.



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