Anita Edge, Chief Enchilada
Food blogger, marketing specialist, web designer, skier, mom
Cooking Background:
My first forays into cooking for fun were as a kid – I absolutely loved to bake. I primarily baked cakes, cookies, and other goodies, starting with my mother’s fabulous recipes. The idea of doing anything professionally with food first popped into my head when I was a teenager. I make incredible cheesecakes and saw myself providing catered custom decorated cheesecakes. I talked myself out of this idea as I couldn’t see how I could do this and keep my weight under 300 lbs.
I grew up in Virginia, where my favorite foods consisted of crab cakes and Carolina BBQ. There were no Mexican restaurants anywhere. I discovered yummy Mexican food when I went to college at University of Colorado in Boulder. We used to go to Tico’s, a local favorite Mexican (well, more Mexican-American) restaurant. I always ordered a Ticorito – I can still taste them. Tico’s is long, gone – only the memories remain. Soon after, my roommate, Joie, introduced me to Mexican cooking with her version of a burrito. Her recipe? A can of refried beans, ground beef, a can of taco sauce, sour cream, and Velveeta Cheese – all wrapped in a flour tortilla. Yum!??
I’ve cooked with canned green chiles occasionally for years, then in 2003 discovered the joys of fresh roasted green chiles. I haven’t touched any canned chiles since. I created DenverGreenChili.com in 2006 when my chile vendor disappeared; you can read that story on the About Us page. Since then, I’ve been experimenting with different dishes and varieties of chiles and have become an expert in cooking with chiles.
My Other Life:
Waaaay back in college, I took computer science and since then have had a varied career in the computer industry and Internet marketing. I’ve been designing websites since 1995 and have taught Internet marketing since 19996. I particularly enjoy the branding, lead generation, and marketing strategy parts of my work.
Naturally, some of my clients are in the food industry, particularly Southwestern foods. I understand what consumers want very well; and I’m constantly fielding questions about chiles and Southwestern cooking. I work with food brands on connecting with consumers and getting them to actively cook with those products.
I also run a meetup group, The Denver Internet Mastermind Group. I put on an educational program nearly every month on some aspect of Internet marketing and running an online business. I also design and host Internet marketing and social media educational events for other organizations.
Speaking Engagements:
