Cook From Scratch

I’ll never forget the first time Nick and I cooked a recipe together. It called for a spice we didn’t have—just a ¼ teaspoon, but there it was, clearly listed. So while grocery shopping, I headed to the spice aisle, determined to grab it.

That’s when I saw the price: $8 for one spice we’d use a tiny pinch of. I couldn’t believe it.

Nick, ever the laid-back, go-with-the-flow type, casually said, “Let’s just use something we already have.”
I was shocked. The recipe called for this exact spice! How could we possibly swap it?

At the time, I was a total rule-follower in the kitchen. Despite being creative in other areas of life, cooking was one place I didn’t want to stray from the script. Nick, on the other hand, helped me loosen up and realize that cooking is more than following directions—it’s an art form. A practice in improvisation and joy.

Now, I embrace more of a flexible, from-scratch approach in our kitchen. And I hope you feel free to do the same.