One cookbook writer Stephanie says she loves is Mario Batali, executive chef at Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, a restaurant in New York City.
Stephanie was fortunate enough to see Rachel Ray, chef-host of the Food Network's "30 Minute Meals" and writer of many cookbooks, at a book signing in Washington, D.C.
Stephanie herself is thinking about writing.
"I love to write stories," she said. "When people hear I like to write and I like to cook, they always say I should write a cookbook."
She has written down some of her own concoctions and thinks that when she has enough, she might think about compiling them.
One relatively simple recipe is for a cheese bread appetizer.
For now, Stephanie's future in cooking is unclear.
"I'm not sure if I want to be a chef, but it would be fun," she said.
Stephanie said she has discovered that cooking for herself and her family and friends is fun and fulfilling, even if she is never as famous as Rachel Ray.
Cheese Bread Appetizer
French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
About 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
3/4 of a red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 leaves chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Spread olive oil on bottom of a flat-bottomed 9-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Arrange the peppers into a single layer in the dish, sprinkle the basil to cover them. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes.
Finely chop or press the garlic cloves. Cover each slice of bread with the garlic. Sprinkle each slice with a generous amount of Parmesan.
Place on a baking pan and put in the 300-degree oven or about 3 or 4 minutes.
Place 3 to 4 basil-flecked pepper strips on each bread slice and serve warm.
