Actor | Chef | Artist
I appeal to the senses. A life-long singer, performer, and artist, I have a passion to please.
I have been acting on stage and screen for 20 years and have lent my voice to many commercials, video games, and dozens of toys over the years.
When I’m not creating characters in the booth, I’m in kitchen crafting performances for the palate.
Culinary Corner
I love love LOVE to think about food. Where it comes from, how we anchor it in heritage or socio-economic beliefs, how and where it is consumed…
I read cookbooks like novels, collecting more than a couple of first edition signed copies, and (forgive the pun) I devour cooking shows.
I started my food-beyond-sustenance journey when I was in high school, where I was suffering terrible acida (or agidu, as my Italian-American family would say). And I did a process of elimination diet that informed me to quit red meat. No more meatballs, meatloaf, cube steak, or summertime burgers. *sigh* But I adapted, and I thrived.
Then, tragically, suddenly, I lost my ability to process dairy. Again, with the elimination diet – and right after I received my first fondue pot for Christmas! *sigh*
So I had to – HAD TO – start educating myself, really digging in to the science of food, and to work with substitutions, as I adjusted to cooking without butter, cream, or cheese. Back then, restaurants just weren’t equipped – or willing – to pivot towards my dietary needs. And I repeated over and over to food professionals taking my orders at restaurants, “Yes I can have aioli. Yes it’s made with eggs. Eggs are not dairy.” As an omnivore I could find other proteins to substitute in restaurants – but dairy?! It was practically in EVERYTHING! I blame the 20th century Industrial-Food Revolution, but I digress…..Here am I, twenty years dairy free, and my skin, voice, and gut biome are all happier for it! >>>
I don’t always write down my recipes, but I pretty consistently photograph my culinary creations.
LEAH RUSSO 