Hi! I’m Dianna. I am a wife, mother, grandma. I grew up in Maryland, but have lived all over the country and in Europe and Japan. I have learned how to cook from all the great experiences I have shared over the years with family and friends, each creating a special memory.
Welcome to the Memorable Kitchen. With the encouragement of my 2 daughters, I decided to start a cooking blog. The bottom line is, I love to cook and love to try new recipes and techniques in the kitchen. I also enjoy teaching others to cook, but love what I learn from fellow cooks. I was born in Japan, have lived in Germany twice, but call Maryland my home. I grew up with 4 awesome sisters and my parents, who both loved to cook. My mother was from a German background so her cooking style was good, comfort food. My father grew up in a traditional Italian home where his mother and grandmother taught him to cook hearty Italian food. So growing up in a family of seven with German/Italian parents, mealtime was an event. This is where I first learned to cook. My mother was a wonderful baker and my father’s expertise was savory foods. The best of both worlds.
After high school, I went to college in Colorado and entered the Air Force in 1982. I met my husband at my first assignment in Columbus, Mississippi. I was married in 1983, and served for 5 years in the Air Force as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. My first child was born while I was still In the Air Force, but I decided to end my short career as we began to have more children. I spent the next 20+ years traveling with my husband to each of our next 12 assignments and ended up in Texas when my husband retired. We have lived mostly in the south in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Virginia. But also, had great assignments in Germany, Rhode Island, and Maryland. I spent most of those years raising our 4 children and supporting my husband’s career. In recent years I have also had the opportunity to work for Great Harvest Bread Company, Williams-Sonoma, and Nothing Bundt Cakes. I have been so fortunate to have met so many great people, be involved with military organizations and learn so much from my experiences and travels as an Air Force officer and spouse. Every assignment was filled with social activities. Whether it was a Spouses’ Coffee, Promotion Party, or Supporting Wounded Warriors, every event was accompanied with lots of great, homemade food.
Well, 28 years and 4 children later, here I am. Every step of my life has led me to this point and the creation of the Memorable Kitchen. I am the cook I am today because of all the people that have been put in my life. My parents taught me how to cook simple, wholesome dishes. The friends I have met over these past years, shared their wonderful “tried and true” recipes and taught me so much about their own lives, family background and cooking styles. My experience working in two wonderful bakeries, taught me new techniques and gave me insight into what it takes to operate a food business. It is still a dream of mine to one day own a bakery or Tea Room. I also gained tremendous experience working for Williams-Sonoma. I have learned so much about the equipment and tools that can help to simplify your cooking and help save time. My greatest accomplishment in my culinary experiences was being able to teach Cooking Classes at Williams-Sonoma. This allowed me to share my style and love of cooking with others.
So, come and step into The Memorable Kitchen as I share my life of cooking with you!