I discovered my love of cooking while spending time
with my mother who was an avid cook. Her specialty was Southern and Southwestern
cuisine. As I helped prepare the meals she would tell me stories of how
she learned to cook as a young girl. Tales of tough times after the Great
Depression would fill the kitchen and mix with the aroma of fresh baked
bread. With each meal she would recount how these simple, yet delicious
dishes came to be. For instance, she learned how to make homemade Tortillas
and Beans from an old Mexican woman, her bean pot simmering in a pit in
the ground while her skilled hands formed the tortillas for her family.
Many stories accompanied each meal leaving me with the feeling that I was
preparing something much more than just the evening’s dinner.
Along the way, I became intrigued with other cuisines of the world. Having
friends from other countries in my hometown, I had the pleasure of sharing
in their traditional meals. At the dinner table I would be transported to Spain,
Italy and Germany through these new and wonderful meals.
In 1983, I relocated to Madrid, where I spent most of my time traveling throughout
Spain and Morocco while studying the culture and food of this beautiful region.
Upon returning to the States, I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston
to study my other passion. It was here that I was exposed to every kind of
cuisine imaginable: Asian, Indian, South American and of course, some of New
England’s best restaurants. I began buying cookbooks and trying out recipes
on friends during simple get-togethers and also for large “theme” dinner
parties, such as “Sushi Night at Shirlé’s.”
I have since traveled throughout America, Europe and Canada in pursuit of all
the culinary treats the world has to offer. From these experiences, I have
continued my quest for cuisine from THE FOUR CORNERS of the EARTH. The one
thing I haven’t forgotten is what my mother taught me in my young ‘cheffing’ days...that
delicious food doesn’t need to have a lot ot ingredients to make you
feel like you’ve traveled to some far away land.
Welcome to Four Corners Cuisine!
— Shirlé Hale-Koslowski
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |