Before the Pandemic…

Growing up in a very traditional ‘meat and potatoes’ household, we looked forward to Friday night pizza night. I vividly recall my first experiece having sushi, one of my first business lunches right out of college. I was adventurous and had the negimaki - cooked, sliced flank steak tightly rolled around scallions. That one meal intrigued my curiosioty enough to eventually try many other yummy items on the menu.

Having worked in the Fragrance & Flavor industry in sales and marketing roles for the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of traveling the world (France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, China, India, Mexico, Brazil, etc…) and experiencing the most interesting, amazing and sometimes intimidating cuisines. I have also dined at some of the best restaurants in the US, which I may have not otherwise experienced. The past 20 years have truly changed my palette and the role that flavor, fragrance and texture play in how I experience food.

If you have any doubt in how significant all of these elements are in how you taste food and why I want to indulge all of your taste buds, I challenge you to do one thing - if you dare. All you need is a small bag of Starburst!

Close your eyes and randomly pick a starburst (any flavor) out of the bag, pinch you nose closed (with your thumb and pointer), and, while keeping your eyes closed, unwrap the starburst, bite into it and guess the flavor… What did you taste?? Now un-pinch your nose and chew - notice the flavor? This is just one easy way to demonstrate how much all our senses are integral in how we experience food.

How This Started

After 20+ years of experiencing some amazing food and dining out on any given night, I was used to eating/tasting what I wanted, when I wanted it without too much appreciation of how lucky I was. My cooking was usually limited to an occasional family dinner with a couple of items I mastered (and always repeated). When I first moved out, my friends used to joke that I probably stored shoes in my oven! I myself would have not believed anyone if they told me that years later, I would love to cook! And then 2020 happened…

During the pandemic of 2020, we didn't have the option to eat out or feel safe ordering in. Since we LOVE to eat delicious food, and I love a true challenge, I decided to roll up my sleeves and really start cooking!  

If this girl can learn how to cook...so can you!! I have had plenty of funny 'bloopers' and a couple of burn marks along the way - but I promise to be transparent and share all of these with you as we start this journey together. 

I hope to make this a fun, judgement-free zone of cooking successes, surprising and tasty new recipes and hopefully lots of laughs and even new virtual friendships along the way!

Our Mission

Your joy in the kitchen is our shared success. Our goal is to make cooking accessible to everyone. We want to strip cooking of its intimidating complexity and make it simple and enjoyable for all. You should feel comfortable in your own skin when cooking...hence Naked Cooking. 

Let's rediscover our confidence in the kitchen - after all, who doesn't love an easy and delicious dish!