D'Marie DelciI’d like to take a few paragraphs to thank all the people who have helped shape the Kitchen Shaman.

First, my partner D’Marie, who encouraged me to write about food when she realized the amount of information stuck up in my brain that could be shared with the world. She has also been the gracious recipe tester, and benefactor of the Kitchen Shaman’s food over the last 8.5 years. She has suffered my failures, and gloried in my culinary triumphs. And has been there every night and day when I come home from a long shift, tired and just wanting take-out, but babbling about everything I learned about food that day. She is also the fabulous editor of Kitchen Shaman, taking my words and shaping them into something that you can understand when you read it. I am deeply grateful for her talents.

Dharma Kelleher of ZenPunk Web Works. She did a bang up job on the banner for the website. I gave her a somewhat thought out idea, and she translated what I saw in my mind onto the web page. Kudos. She helped me get started in wordpress as well, so I could create this pretty nifty little corner of the internet. Dharma also shot the first few KS videos. And she is a staunch supporter of Kitchen Shaman.

Kristin Satkowiack, who responded to my crisis call and helped make the kitchen look really great for the videos. She also came over and took pictures of the food when the other photographer couldn’t make it.  She’s a staunch supporter of KS, and has sent many fans over to the Kitchen Shaman Fan Page on Facebook. Thank you Kristin!

There’s my High School and College writing professors who encouraged me over the years. They told me, edit, edit, edit. I used to have a hard time with that. Now, I’ve learned the value of the draft. They always encouraged me to keep writing, and though I did not submit anything I wrote over the years, I did keep writing privately. And when I finally became comfortable putting words together in a coherent fashion, this blog was born.

There are videos on Kitchen Shaman. I’d like to thank both my High School and College instructors in the Video realm. They helped me learn to tell a story through the lens. And then taught me how to shape that story through editing. I am glad that I can bring that skill to Kitchen Shaman as well.

There’s my grandmother Lamby, who is no longer alive but taught me so very much about food and how to make it. My first bread baking lessons were at her side, and vegetable gathering in the garden. And though she never knew it, she played a large part in helping me become a Chef.

My Aunt Mary Alice, who wouldn’t let me put sugar on my grapefruit, but had a huge kitchen built in her house. I did not have the patience to learn from her, but I respected and revered the knowledge she wielded.

There are all my cousins, and extended family, and my family of choice who are supporting this blog, and my culinary endeavors. I hope someday all of you might get to taste my creations as a thank you for believing in me.

And finally, there’s my mom. I loved her. When I got home from school she would be cooking dye for fabric, and it was my responsibility to get dinner started. You try cooking with blue and red next to the soup. Her idea of gourmet was Chef Boy R Dee, and vegetables came from a can. But, she taught me perseverance, and about keeping a dream alive. And though I strayed from the culinary path, really it’s because of Her that I came back. Mom, I’ll always love you.

I thank all the strangers out there that I don’t know who are reading my blog, and wanting more. And though there aren’t that many comments yet, I’m going to keep it up, and someday, I’ll hear from you as well.