Life On The Line
I never imagined my life would unfold as it did. My career took unexpected turns, and I faced some challenging chapters along the way. But through those times, I found a path I hadn't planned for, and it shaped the person I've become today.
In my early twenties, I was balancing two passions: music and cooking. My band, The Baketones, was full of energy, but I knew I couldn't pursue both dreams forever. At 27, I made the hard choice to leave the band and focus on my culinary career, moving to Montreal with little more than a dream and a suitcase. That leap of faith changed everything.
I found work at a unique bistro hidden inside a French bookstore, where I was introduced to offbeat ingredients like goat testicles and heart. This was an environment that pushed me beyond my comfort zone and showed me what I was truly capable of. Soon after, I became the sous chef, writing menus and leading the kitchen. It was my dream job, but life had other plans.
After some time in Montreal, life brought me back to Nova Scotia. It was a chapter marked by change, but also growth. Eventually, I took another leap-this time with my wife, Suzanne. We got married and started building a life together. Along the way, I shifted away from working in professional kitchens and found new ways to share my love of food.
Yet even in those challenging moments, doors opened. I joined a catering company, to help them build a cooking school. I shifted my focus from cooking every day to teaching others about food. What had once seemed like an ending became the spark for a new passion-teaching through writing.
Now, this blog is my full-time mission. While the days of working the line in a busy kitchen are behind me, I've found new ways to share my love of cooking-including working as a private chef. This is where my journey has led me, and I'm excited to see where it goes next.