Bowdoin College graduate writes cookbook, Maine [Video]

BRUNSWICK, Maine — Aside from having two uncles who owned restaurants nearby, Lidey Heuck (pronounced “Hoyk”) didn’t have much exposure to the food business when she was growing up in Pittsburgh. Her parents both worked for a newspaper, and dinners at home were “simple and to the point.”

In her senior year at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Heuck — despite her lack of culinary expertise—reached out to Ina Garten, the cook, author, and TV host known for her “Barefoot Contessa” mini-empire. 

During the job interview, Garten asked, “What makes you crazy?” Heuck replied, “When my housemates don’t keep the kitchen clean.”

Garten hired her immediately, not to cook, but to do social media. The cooking came later, including a stint one summer at the acclaimed Lost Kitchen restaurant in Freedom, Maine, and now Heuck is out …