Who am I?!

OK I’m doing it!  I’m revealing myself…in a writing sense not a naked one!

Last April I started my humble little blog ‘Food For You Reviews’, a weekly blog reviewing food from various people and places.  When I began I really had no grand plans for it, I still don’t really, I just wanted to write about what I know and love which is food.  I would have been happy if one person read my blog and liked it.  And that was it.

I made the decision to be anonymous for a couple of reasons.  One – because I really didn’t know what I was doing (still don’t) and two, I am fully aware that I’m not the world’s greatest writer therefore it was a lack of confidence thing.  In saying that, I wanted to write my weekly food reviews because of the passion and experience I hold in the food industry. My anonymity behind the blog is becoming a poorly kept secret.  It's about time I put a name and face to the reviews I write.  In a sense, its time to own up!

So allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Zhoe Jess.  I am a wife, mother, friend, educator, student, consultant, food lover, restaurant judge, cook, writer, dreamer, loyalist, blogger and I love a glass of bubbles. 

I am married to a spunky guy who thinks he’s a pretty good bloke and we have two beautiful children together.  A six-year-old son and a 4½ year-old daughter.  They are 15 months apart and they think they are twins even though they look nothing alike!

At the moment we live in Bendigo – where we have been for four years.  I would move back to Melbourne in a heartbeat and hopefully we will one day.

I am in love with New York City.  I WILL go back there one day… I will.

I love to talk to my friends – I could do that all day long.  I love yoga, exercising and being fit.  A couple of years ago I learnt how to run properly and completed my first fun run.  I love food – eating it, cooking it and writing about it.  I love my husband and children – we rock!

I want to be a published ‘world famous’ food writer.  So, last year I started studying writing online with Swinburne University.  I want to learn how to be the best writer I can be and write about what I am passionate about.

I think food is in my genetic makeup.  I come from a Hungarian background where food and cooking is an essential part of the European bloodline.  My Hungarian grandmother in particular has had a strong influence over my passion of food.  As a little girl I would watch and ‘help’ her cook.  What fascinated me as I got older was I noticed that she never refers to a recipe, ever.  Her ability to cook comes from within.  Deep within her soul and her heart.  I have very strong memories of being in Hungary with her when I was six years old, watching her and her mother and sisters feed the entire family from produce grown in the back yard.  I also learnt that chooks really do run around with their head cut off!

About 20 years ago (that is so crazy to comprehend) when I finished year 12, I went to Adelaide and studied Hospitality Management.  It was during this time I started working in the hospitality industry.  I started out in a bars and nightclubs before I started working with the Hyatt group.  After a couple of years I moved to the Gold Coast where I worked at the Royal Pines Resort before moving on to restaurants and cafes for the next few years.

A bout of illness forced me to move back to my hometown, Mildura.  Once recovered, I opened my first cafe. Two and a half years later I sold the cafe and started working in the TAFE sector teaching hospitality.  I worked in the TAFE sector for ten years working my way up into senior management.

Last August I decided to leave my position at TAFE and the security of a regular salary to start my own hospitality consultancy business called ZAP CONSULTING.

Last year I was honoured to become a judge for the Golden Plate Awards, which is a hospitality restaurant awards program in regional Victoria.  I relish this role as a restaurant judge.

So that’s me.  I hope this little insight on me assists you in loving my reviews as much I love writing them.  Thanks for reading friends!

Me & Shane Delia

You can follow me on twitter - Zhoe Jess @food4ureviews