Diane Laney Fitzpatrick - Profile

I've always loved to cook, from my first sixth-grade home ec class, where Miss Wire taught me how to cut a grapefruit into sections. I doubt there is a food on this earth that I wouldn't eat, and enjoy.

I'm a former newspaper reporter and editor who now devotes my time to my three children and freelance writing from my south New Jersey home.

I learned to cook from my mother, a powerfully creative force in the kitchen, and from my sisters and brother, who continue to teach me that variety is truly the spice of life.

I love to cook for my family and friends, especially casual, fun meals with several couples and their kids. I love recipes that mix seemingly incompatible ingredients, and am always willing to try something new.

My husband is an amazing griller and we both love to experiment with cooking on our grill. I gather recipes from everything and everybody. My recipe books are full of stained recipes from family members in the '60s, print-outs from the Internet yesterday, torn-out pages from Bon Apetit and Southern Living, and hand-written instructions dictated by someone who just served me something delicious.

When I'm not in the kitchen, I love to read -- everything from the classics to thrillers, biographies to whatever my kids are reading. I teach religious education at my church and volunteer at my children's schools. My pet project is helping students express themselves through writing fiction.

I like to swim with my kids, golf with my husband and entertain with friends . . . with food, of course.