My first kitchen

Welcome to My life in the kitchen

Recipes that bring memories

Orange cabinets, Formica countertops, ceramic backsplash, my mom's first electric stove, her first microwave, General Electric food processor, double-door refrigerator. This was a time when I detested most foods, like spinach and practically anything green—basically, most vegetables. However, my love for the kitchen was unwavering. My bedroom door was right next to the kitchen and I could smell and hear every dish that was cooked and sense every coffee that was brew for 14 years.

We had a dining room table that folded against the wall, and we had most of our meals in the kitchen, except for lunch. I recall it being too hot to eat there, but we certainly had our afternoon snacks and coffee there every single afternoon. In this orange kitchen, I learned to cook many of the recipes that I now crave the most—Arepas, Empanadas, Arroz con Pollo, Black Beans, Sweet Plantains, Milanesas and much more.

In this blog, I will be sharing most of the recipes that I learned to cook alongside my mom, my abuela and my Italian neighbors.

I got dresses one night and asked my mom to take a picture in the kitchen, I was 5 years old.

My orange kitchen was my first kitchen

In my life, I've learned the art of cooking traditional dishes from Venezuela, Italy, Iran, the Mediterranean, and American cuisine. My culinary journey began in my first kitchen, where I learned to cook traditional Venezuelan cuisine. From my neighbors, I learned to prepare authentic Italian dishes from sauces to risottos and of course how to drink coffee at 9pm while watching Telenovelas I also learned how to be passionate about food ! Italian talk with their hands but they cook with their hearts!

Later, without knowing that food would continue to play an important role in my life from a very young age, I had my first kitchen—a white, country-style kitchen from the mid-90s. This kitchen played a significant role in my life, marking the beginning of my culinary experiences. It was during this time with my late husband, who introduced me to the aromas of Persian cuisine. Middle Eastern cuisine was like love at first bite, and I realized how much I appreciated new flavors. During that time, I learned everything I know today about Middle Eastern cuisine, Persian food, the art of entertaining, how to invite 20 guests and cook for 100 people for a simple supper, and make every guest feel special. When you invite someone to your house, open your heart to the kitchen, and show them love!

As life unfolded, I found myself enrolling in culinary school in my 30s, further solidifying my passion for food. Now, food has become an integral part of who I am.

In this journey, I will be sharing recipes from my orange kitchen, my 90s kitchen, and my current kitchen.

My current kitchen is still developing, evolving, and correcting, but I invite you to join me on this journey of sharing my life through recipes and memories associated with them.

My menus represent dishes that are authentic to me; most of them have a story behind the dish. Cooking from my heart is what I would like to share. I'm a mess in the kitchen; I can't follow a recipe or have a structured approach, but I make sure that the food tastes delicious!