“For me there is nothing more gratifying than preparing a meal for my family, complete with dessert,” explained Nicole Foster, a wife, mother of two sons (John Wilson and Joshua) and full-time employee at Mathews High School. She is a good cook who always wanted dinner time to be where the family could all reconnect. “We always ate at the table, no electronics, but lots of food and laughter. Good food was always a good way to keep them at the table and their father’s (John Foster) ability to tell a good story that would have us all laughing.”

Nicole, a native of Portsmouth who became a Mathews County resident when she married John 29 years ago, says her love of cooking developed from many sources. “I have learned how from nearly every woman in my life. The most would be my mother, Esther Campbell, and my mother-in-law, Beverly Foster. My husband’s grandmother, Evangeline Armistead—that woman could cook—taught me not to be afraid of using flavorings even if the recipe didn’t call fo...