About

Photography by Jeremey Bot

My name is Karina.  I identify as almost vegetarian and not quite a vegan.   A “flexitarian” who leans toward vegetarian, low dairy foods.

I grew up in a household where both parents cooked for enjoyment, food was in the forefront of our family life, whether it was the rushed, yet clever concoction my German born father made that he, quite pleased with himself, claimed was “a meal fit for a king,”– perhaps a spicy goulash; or the carefully crafted, warm, traditional arroz con pollo my mother served, she being from Puerto Rico;  these dishes reminded me of our errant, displaced roots.  Our strange plates distinguished us as a family and in it’s own way brought us closer together.  New food that was introduced became our new place of origin.   Sitting around our table we became a box of Honeycomb cereal, or a twice baked potato.  I still feel lucky I never became a bland casserole, something I learned to avoid as I reached for the salt.

As a girl, I vividly remember the smell of roses that we had in our garden. I loved their subtle soothing fragrance and the feel of the cool, silk petals.  And as I leaned in, I thought about this scent and wondered how it might taste.  At the time I thought roses were inedible.  Though not typically used in North America, I would later discover that rose essence is used throughout the world in both savory sauces and sweet desserts.

My love of cooking has as much to do with experimentation as it does with connection.  In sharing simple recipes and discovering new ones, we explore our connection to food, earth, and each other.  This blog follows my life and those with whom I come into contact.  What we eat is an explanation of where we- all of us–are going, of how our dietary choices affect the enviroment and our bodies.  Indeed, I like to think eating the right foods  can bring simultaneous physical well being and comfort.

Might it be true what Jean Anthelme-Savarin said “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are” ?  Visit me here as I strive to eat with my mind, eyes and heart.