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Brenda's Bio

I've spent almost half a century behind a stove.

My earliest attempts began in New York City, when I discovered that my doll house, tea set, and chemistry set combined, could create some phenomenal episodes. Friends and family encouraged me to pursue cooking (preferably not within proximity to anything combustible). I became known for my baked goods, and launched Brenda's Bodacious Bonbons in the 70's. This cookie extravaganza grew to crafting over 2000 cookies each Christmas.

I took advantage of a lay-off from my career in the financial field to attend Manhattan's French Culinary Institute in 1988. It was there that I was transformed from novice to professional. I graduated with an extra-sharp set of knives, and a great foundation for understanding food chemistry and recipes.

My years as a corporate caterer, and with my own business "Sophisticater", were fun and frenetic and if you click on the pots labeled "Cooking Disasters" from the homepage, you'll get a taste of what I mean.

I was the Restaurant Reviewer for the Poughkeepsie Journal from 1992-1999. This was a great job, because the Hudson Valley in Upstate N.Y. is the home of the renown Culinary Institute of America, and dozens of great restaurants.

I graduated from the advanced bread baking program of the CIA in 2000. Due to an extraordinary twist of fate I wound up on the Central Coast of California. I seized an opportunity to teach baking at Central Coast Culinary in San Luis Obispo, began catering with one of the area's premier caterers, and started writing a weekly food column for the New Times and Santa Maria Sun.

I've written cookbooks, reviewed cookbooks, taught children and adult (who occasionally act like children) classes throughout the country. My specialties are artisan bread baking, and low-fat, low-calorie cooking. My recipe pages will be filled with the results of my trials (and errors). Please tune into my radio show SLO COOKING with BRENDA HOCK every Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. on KVEC 920 AM radio. I'm always cooking up something.
 
 
 

Last Revised - 07/20/01
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