Love in the Kitchen Cookbook

By Tabitha Ervin
FWIS Editorial Director

There is a new cookbook out, Love in the Kitchen and I had a chance to do some Q & A with the author Athena Hill.

TE: Tell me about yourself?

My name is Athena Dinelle Hill. I am from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I have lived here most of my life. I have been in the restaurant industry for over half my life. Over three decades. It has fueled my passion and love for food. I am an Author, a Realtor, an Entrepreneur, an Advocate for the youth in our community, a Mother, a Grandmother, a Wife, and a Child of God. I am so grateful for such an opportunity. Growing up, it often felt like I was invisible, like no one really saw me for who I was. Being a single parent bought its own set of challenges. But those struggles have helped shape me into who I am today. God had a plan for me, I just had no idea what!

TE: Thank you for sharing! How long have you been writing?

I started writing in my high school years. I was invisible to others in school and not among the popular kids. I had one real friend in high school. I feel like high school is where young people long to belong or fit in, but I didn’t have the nicest clothes and shoes. I was an ugly duckling, an outcast and was picked on often. I remember the first time I found out about Maya Angelou, it was in high school. Words can’t describe that moment and it inspired me. That was the moment I picked up a pen and started writing. When I wrote, for the first time, I felt like I belonged, like I fit in when I picked up my pen. So writing has always been a passion of mine. So, when I told my team my vision, they delivered beyond my expectations.

TE: How long have you been cooking?

I would say I started cooking in high school. Back then, we had Home Economics, and my teacher was named Mrs. Oberly. She introduced us to the fundamentals of cooking and made it fun, along with other things that she taught us in the classroom to get us ready for the real world. I also started cooking at home around that time.

I specifically remember having to make my mother breakfast and it had to be done a particular way or I was in trouble. Her eggs had to be scrambled soft, not hard and not runny. Her grits had to be stirred constantly, not allowing at any time to stick to the bottom of the pot and every single speck had to be picked out. She expected and accepted nothing less. So cooking was not really enjoyable for me until I moved out on my own. Then I was free to explore and play around with different seasonings and tastes. My mother was health conscious, so I didn’t grow up on soul food, but I did later in life learn how to make it.

I remember my very first serving job was at “Banana’s Steakhouse” in the Georgetown area. It was a casual steakhouse. I worked there for a month or a so before it came out that the restaurant was being sold and all of the staff would have to find a new job. After it closed, I was informed who the new owners were and that I should apply and a good word would be put in for me to get hired. So, I applied and was called in for an interview. I was told that it was going to be an Italian restaurant named “Blu Tomato”. It was more upscale than other Italian restaurants. It was the place where my appreciation for different foods and my palate became sophisticated. I had a new respect, appreciation and love for food and the art of it all.

I still remember all my favorite dishes there and how my love for veal, pasta, steak, and other delicatessens really changed my life and the trajectory of how I really saw food.

TE: Is this your first book?

This is the second book published by ExecuLease Spaces. The first book is available as an e-book only and is called “Savoring the Season”. It was my first book published around Christmas. I was very proud of it and the feeling of having my very first cookbook published was like no other feeling in the world. It was like I am an actual Author. Wow! The sales are soaring! My team and I are celebrating daily, thanking God for all his love and mercy! My agency, ExecuLease Spaces is amazing, I could go on and on about how special they are to me, so grateful for their ability to execute my vision, exceeding my expectations. After Christmas, we thought, wow, let’s see if we can make some magic happen for Valentines Day. With the Lord’s blessings and some very hard work, a vision was given to my team, and it was executed beyond my wildest dreams. “Love in the Kitchen” was created! We knew that it was going to be beautiful but had no idea that it would be so amazing! And when we got our first copy, oh my gosh! We were totally blown away. I think we may have celebrated with a good cry and a good prayer to thank God. I will say this is my baby. The responses from my friends, family and people in general that have supported has been so beautiful in itself. I thank God everyday for his blessing and without my agency and team at ExecuLease Spaces there would be no Athena Dinelle. I shared my dreams, and it turned into my wildest fantasies come true.

TE: What inspired you to create a cookbook?

Food is not just a meal to me. It’s beautiful. It’s artistic. It’s romantic. It’s sexy. Each ingredient is like a paintbrush stroke on the finest Picasso painting! I am very passionate about each bite, the taste, the smell, the touch of my utensils, the way it speaks to me and the way my palate sings. It makes my heart sing also. When I am making a dish, I become one with it. Sometimes with nothing but shear silence and sizzles.

TE: Have you cooked everything in the book?

Yes, I have. Some more than others. Naturally I have favorites. I did put a lot of thought into the recipes shared. Some are easier than others. Some are a little more in depth but all beautifully executed.

TE: What’s your favorite meal to make?

I would say Lamb then steak. Seafood would be next. Pork Chops would be after all of those.

Thank you for your time and conversation!

For more info please contact Athena at palatepicasso@gmail.com or 260-410-5236.

Her book can be purchased on Amazon: Love Kitchen Chef Romantic.