spice + orchid is a recipe archive and an exploration of cooking as both a source of satisfaction and subject of study.

A Brief History

While I've been a big fan of food and a huge proponent of it being an essential building block of life-as I'm sure you can all agree-I definitely was not the child asking my mom to peel the potatoes growing up. I had minimal involvement in the kitchen beyond stealing preemptive bites of what was cooking and the few tasks that my mom would assign me. Like washing leaves of lettuce. What I did gain in that essential time of my life was an appreciation for and a broad experience with different types of cuisine and ingredients thanks to the various restaurant and countries my parents brought me to.

Fast forward to being in my first apartment and having access to a kitchen. I quickly learned that microwaving tin foil was highly ill-advised, and that I was exceptional at wasting a good amount of perishable ingredients. I defaulted to ordering in for quite a while, but also found that doing so ended up not satisfying me in the way that home cooked meals did back at home. I also realized I had been really spoiled over the years in terms of the quality of the food I had been eating, and to get what I really wanted, I was going to have to make for myself.

Rather than start with a recipe, however, I decided to go big or go home. I picked ingredients I wanted to work with and cobbled together a viable cooking method from a variety of recipes I google'd. Surprisingly, this method of madness worked. Not just once but multiple times, and as I became familiar with different cooking instructions I began to create a base knowledge of how to cook.

I think that eating to satisfy your cravings is a key ingredient to your health, happiness, and overall well being. It's also one of the ways I like to spend time with the people I care about. There are few better feelings than sitting back after a meal filled with good conversation and laughter. Even more special? The smile that spreads over a friends face as they enjoy every bite of what you've made for them.

So this is really, for my friends and family more so than for myself. A gift of food and hopefully some fun.

Here's to all the culinary adventures ahead!