I have been fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful cooks my entire life.   Both my Grandmother and Mother were enthusiastic chefs and I have many childhood memories of working in the kitchen along side them learning to prepare family favorites.   Throughout the years my love of working with food developed as I cooked for my husband, two children, family and friends.   I was constantly gathering new recipes from magazines, television cooking shows, favorite cookbooks and those shared by good friends.   I honed my ability to cook for a crowd by years of hosting celebrations at our home, including our annual New Year's Day event by preparing hors d'eouvres, dinner and dessert for gatherings of up to 50 guests. I realized how much I enjoyed menu planning, the creative process and the sense of accomplishment as guests left with positive responses at the end of the evening.  

The diversity of the food I prepare is founded by my love of all cuisines.   I am self taught and feel that has much merit as you learn from many sources and take away the knowledge and skills of the best.   As a native of the Capital Region, I have benefited from living in an area which enables a great sampling of both ethnic and traditional New England fare.

It was through the encouragement of my family and friends that I have taken this leap into catering with the official launch of cj berrie catering. I thank all of them for their support and confidence in me. A special thanks to my husband David, daughter Leigh & husband Chadwick and my son Benjamin for standing behind me and cheering me all the way!  

P.S.   My love of cooking has gone full circle as my daughter Leigh has become a fantastic cook in her own right with a distinct passion for domestic arts in this modern world.   Check out her works at www.breadandbirds.com A special thanks to her for creating this website!