Hi!
I’m Gina Bean
I am fascinated by all things food and art. Primarilly, but not strictly, plant-based foods, nutrition, and world flavors. And in the art world, surreal.
About my food: I have just as much fun making funnel cakes at a fair as I do in creating a fine dining experience. I could just chop veggies all day and still be perfectly content. My work in food includes raw foods production, vegan baking, and Personal Chef services. It is all a joy, but I most love working with plants. Plants are beautiful, vibrant, soul-satisfyingly nutritious, and in some form can be the star of almost any diet.
About nutrition: Having family with specific health needs is a powerful motivating force for diving headfirst into nutrition studies. My culinary degree, in addition to classical training, includes Sports and Health Nutrition and specific diets. Some of the most exciting ventures were in vegan and paleo foods, as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine. These studies inform virtually everything I do. Families should be able to eat delicious meals together even if they include members with special dietary needs. Nobody on a specific diet should feel deprived, and it should be easy.
It is all Art
Photography has always been a passion and there is always so much more to learn and develop (pun not intended, but it works). It is always exciting. And it has come in handy in my work as a SC Certified Teaching Artist. I work with school teachers to integrate sculpting, painting, light and shadow, and other media, including photography, with class studies to teach art skills and academics. The perspective I bring from this work also informs my own food photography. It all connects.
My heart = my son and my daughter. They grew up as South Carolina kids often with messy hands covered in food or paint, and sand between their toes.
My taste testers, critics, and greatest inspiration. 🙂
Love your website!!!
Thank you, Carol Page! Let me know what you want to see, and I will do my best to provide it.
Gina, this has my 100 percent endorsement. This is the “real you”. When you were a small child you would choose a serving of spinach over a candy bar. And when you were a young teenager you would encourage your friends to eat a piece of fruit for a quick snack, instead of junk food. You have been interested in nutritional health your whole life. I am not surprised that you became a personal chef. – Mom
All I can say to that is… 🙂
Amazing!!! I encourage everyone to explore foodhighs!!!
Thank you! So much more to come!
I love Patty too.
So happy to see you now.
Patty always
What is not to love? 🙂 She makes it easy. For anyone who does not know Patty, she contributed her handed down Albondigas Soup… and will probably share more. Stay tuned!
So happy to see you Gina, Patty mentions you.so many times with great affection.
I’ll look forward to your recipes and comments
How nice! Thank you. I am thrilled to have you on board here. 🙂 And I can’t wait to get more Patty recipes. She is the best!
Gina I love your website. My family has tried many of the recipes on here and so far the whole family has loved them, including the one with sensory issues. I have a couple of challenges for you. First one, do you know how to make grits that taste like popcorn without making popcorn? I tried a recipe from Whole Foods; it was unbelievably scrumptious, but also labor- and time- intensive. Second, how about a no-cook, wheat-, dairy-, egg-free pumpkin pie?
Thank you! And what great questions!
Popcorn grits… Personally, I like popcorn kernels because they are not genetically modified, as is most corn product used in the states. So this is a great idea. Is the recipe you are using something like this one? http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/popcorn-grits/
No cook, wheat-dairy-egg-free pumpkin pie – Okay, I am on it! My favorite time to work with pumpkin is in the fall when you can take the kids and pull one straight from the field, gut it, crawl into it, immerse yourself in pumpkin goodness. 🙂 I have ideas… but I will test them out first before sharing. 🙂
Amazing! My sister-in-law just referred me to your blog, OMGoodness, I can’t wait to pour over the food ideas!
I would like to say that you have a very smart sister-in-law. 😉 Thank you Debra!