CAROLE MURKOCarole Murko is a culinary artist who learned how to cook by observing her mother and grandmother since the age of 3. Throughout her life, Carole has emulated their passion for entertaining, cooking and feeding friends and family.
While pursuing a Master in International Economics at NYU, Carole started a catering business. She threw luaus, professor's parties, and was the on-location caterer for a film production company. After graduation, her formal education lured her back to the financial world where she remained for several years never abandoning her love of cooking and entertaining. Carole then entered the interior design world where she loves designing kitchens and executing tablescapes. She is currently decorating James Taylor's home.
Along the way Carole has owned and managed two bed and breakfasts with her significant other – one at their home, and the Federal House Inn in S. Lee, MA – where she delighted in creating yummy baked goods and breakfast feasts for their guests. She is the exclusive caterer of events at the Taggart House in Stockbridge, MA. organizing rehearsal dinners, weddings, holiday parties and many fund raisers for local cultural groups.
Carole has become nostalgic for those long family meals and she tries to recreate as many as possible for her “family” and friends. She’s discovered through her friendships and entertaining that there are many stories, histories and recipes to be shared. And, hence the development of Heirloom Meals ( www.heirloommeals.com ). Carole collects recipes from family, friends and total strangers that preserve the heritage and traditions of our past generations of home cooks. Heirloom Meals is a celebration of the wonderful foods and recipes that are handed down from generation to generation; something we are in danger of losing and Carole has set her mind to preserve. "Heirloom Meals is dedicated to my grandmother and my mother, my teachers. There wasn’t a day in my life growing up that a fresh home-cooked meals were absent. As a very young girl I would stand by my grandmother’s side and watch her make pasta from scratch, roll it out, cut it into ravioli, spaghetti etc., make manicotti crepes that are so light and fluffy you might think they were French crepes. When I grew up in the late 60’s and even the 70’s there was still a butcher shop where we would go for the freshest of meats and poultry (owned by my grandfather’s cousin, Johnny Pippi) My grandfather was a butcher at one time and before that he owned an apple farm in Claverack NY, which he lost during the Great Depression.
My point with all this is that they didn’t teach me per se – I observed, participated, listened and learned by being part of the process of cooking the family meal.
We will marry the cooking and recipe component with the serving of the meal – it will allow us to explore the world of traditions and heritage beyond just the food and will also have an element of interior design – we can look at people’s kitchen design; see how they navigate in their space and then experience setting the table and different tabletop styles etc." Carole has an AB in Economics from Smith College, an MA in International Economics from NYU, earned the CFA designation (Chartered Financial Analyst) and is a licensed real estate broker in Massachusetts. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Shakespeare and Company, member of the Board of Trustees of Berkshire Grown, member of Berkshire Slow Food and member of the Boston Security Analyst Society. She is also the secretary of her Smith College class.
Carole hosts a local, weekly radio show called Heirloom Meals Radio and has started doing food demos on News channel 13, Albany’s NBC affiliate.
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