I have been passionate about cooking, food, and teaching for as far back as I can remember. My lifelong dream has been to inspire people who have never cooked before to say: “I can do that!” Born and raised in Massachusetts, I graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a major in Home Economics, then moved to Boston and became a Home Ec teacher. When cutbacks meant no more budget for Home Economics classes, I was afraid my dream of teaching cooking was gone forever. In the fall of 2005, while I watched my husband David Maister film a series of business videos, I started thinking about all the people who are really smart, well-educated and clueless about how to cook. Despite all the TV cooking shows and cookbooks out there, there’s really nothing out there to help smart people learn the basics. I recognized that videocasting could be fresh way to share what I knew, and the teacher in me came alive all over again. In 2006 I launched startcooking.com and the Start Cooking Video Cast series. It was a dream come true.