Frances Boswell

Here is my story. I have worked near, around and with food for as long as I can remember. My first job was “Chopper” at a local restaurant…

I was 15 and wore swim goggles to my shifts in order to protect my eyes from onion fumes. Things improved from there. I became a private chef and prepared gourmet meals for an adventure travel outfitter. I joined Martha Stewart Living as part of the magazine’s start up team and rose through the ranks to become Food Editor. After the birth of my first daughter I worked as a freelance recipe developer and food stylist for several publications including The New York Times, Gourmet, Food and Wine, Oprah, Health, Everyday Food, Cookie and Town & Country.

I became Food Director for Real Simple Magazine where I oversaw everything food related. Wanting to explore my interest in food as it relates to health, I took a hiatus from publishing and studied acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Food is energy. Qi (vital force) is energy. Both warm, protect, defend, move and maintain the body in ways which are at once tangible and intangible. Both engender life. Everyday I stress the importance of not just diet but cooking to one’s overall health and vitality. I believe that for food to nourish both our body and spirit it must taste and look beautiful. I channel this when food styling.