Hi, and welcome. On this blog you can find recipes, cooking how-to's, and other food-related posts. Our focus is on creating tasty, healthful, and balanced dishes that we hope everyone can enjoy. Sometimes we also write up recipes for cocktails and other beverages. "We" refers to me, Kat, my husband, Tony, and our three cats.
I started this blog to organize the many recipes I've accumulated over the years. What I found instead was an inspiration and a creative outlet that I've been missing. Food is what inspires me. What awakens me. What soothes me. What helps me remember: whether it had been watching my grandmother make meals in her kitchen when I was little, cooking together with my mom, or sampling something new while traveling, the most vivid memory is always brought back by taste and smell of the food. And when I cook my most trusted guides are my senses: if it tastes, smells, and looks good I know it's going to be a good meal.
I've moved around a lot. I'm Ukrainian-born, so on occasion I write about Russian and Ukrainian dishes. But my influences don't stop there. I've lived a major portion of my life in NYC. Its food culture, restaurants and rich availability of ingredients ignited my passion for cooking and exploring different cuisines. I later moved to Oslo, Norway, one of the world's most expensive cities, where I got used to eating in and cooking homemade dishes every day. And on returning (to now northern New Jersey) I brought back not only this habit, but also an appreciation for Scandinavian cuisine.
On this blog we post the recipes that we ourselves enjoy. Many of them are regular items on our menu. And here, what you see is what you get: every recipe has been cooked, photographed, and tested by being eaten afterwards. We hope you enjoy the site!
