About Me

Welcome to Cucina Fresca!

 

 

My name is Brooke, and I am a 30 year-old American doctoral student living in the beautiful city of San Diego, California. A love for travel and adventure has taken me to some amazing destinations all over the globe – from the rainy streets of my hometown in Seattle, Washington to the sun-kissed islands of Greece, from the souks of Muscat, Istanbul and Marrakesh to the Andean highlands of Peru, from the rolling green hills of Ireland and Scotland to the bustling market squares of Italy – and hundreds of places in between. Through these incredible journeys I have fallen in love with the magical and inspiring ways that people all over the world turn fresh, local and nutritious ingredients into the most innovative and delicious of dishes. It is with much joy that I bring some of these dishes to you.

I have no official culinary training, just a passion for food, entertaining and photography. My greatest source of guidance is my beloved grandmother, Bonnie Jean, who taught me at a very young age that food can awaken both the appetite and the soul. Although she passed away last June at 95 years of age, my grandmother’s enthusiasm lives on in many parts of my life, including my cooking.

Some of the recipes featured are very simple and straightforward, while others are more complicated or require special kitchen tools. All of them have been adapted in one way or another to suit my individual tastes, and I would encourage you to do the same if you fancy giving them a try…

All of the photographs are my own, and I strive as much as possible to represent in each image the composition of the recipe printed and the true nature of its ingredients. This is my first attempt at blogging, so in the first few months I’ll still be navigating through the process and tinkering around with the settings – please be patient with me!