Welcome, I'm Veronica, your resident food geek - experienced recipe developer and gardener. But I didn't start out that way!
My journey to a love of cooking
I'm a child of the 80's and its feminism movement. My version was as loud as my neon clothes as big as my hoop earrings. It meant I'd never be in the kitchen and if asked to cook, I'd reply with the number for pizza delivery.
To my teenage self, it meant I'd leave the Midwest for New York with a high powered career and even higher heels. I'd have a new dress and a new man on my arm for every party. Parties where I didn't cook, of course!
After college I did move to New York for a great career and could run to the subway in really high heels! But I couldn't afford new dresses and didn't have the time for new men!
I later moved to San Francisco to work the startup scene where I met my (now)husband. He started out doing most of the cooking because I worked crazy hours. When I miraculously had a slower paced job, we cooked together most nights.
I quickly developed an appreciation for cooking - if I was going to spend time and money feeding the two of us, why not learn more about it? Being in California at the time, I had also access to fresh, seasonal ingredients year-round.
Now I do almost all of the cooking and I love it. I've been gardening for over a decade too (because it just tastes so much better!). I currently live in the Chicago area and love the mashup of foodies & casseroles - two opposites that make every dinner party unique and fun. I promise someday I'll perfect a fresh, seasonal casserole for every season.
If my younger self could see me now, I bet she would roll her eyes with a heavy sigh while teasing some hair and curling big bangs. And maybe, just maybe, be impressed that I can make a killer birthday cake and still run in heels.
My cooking style
I have so much appreciation for recipes with a lot of detail, so I strive to provide that too.
I think it stems from my childhood food failures that handful of times I deemed it acceptable to be in the kitchen. I once made a single batch of jello, measuring the hot water, then the cold. Then I decided we needed a double batch, in the same bowl. Well, the gelatin never dissolved because of the cold water that was previously poured into the bowl.
My mom tried to nicely tell me it wasn't going to gel. But I insisted if it spent enough time in the fridge it would work. Spoiler: it didn't. If the instructions instead said "dissolve the gelatin in hot water," it may have clicked. So now I like to understand why each step matters.
When a recipe requires an important step like that, I try to make it clear. For example, when I started baking a lot, I noticed some recipes instructed you to add vanilla extract at the end.
I didn't see a logical reason for it, so I did a little research. It turns out that since vanilla extract is an alcohol, it quickly evaporates, taking the vanilla flavor with it. Ahha! Makes sense now, doesn't it?!
Types of recipes
The recipes on this site highlight seasonal ingredients. You'll find fresh salads, soups, and desserts for every season.
Those recipes use seasonal fruits & vegetables, so you might find a soup using fresh roasted pumpkins, not canned pumpkin puree. (Nothing wrong with that, it's just not what I specialize in).
My recipes get right to the point and provide you with detailed instructions. Most recipes also include additional information on using the fruit or vegetable called for in the ingredients. For example, when making apple sauce, I share which apples have the best flavor and texture.
Why you should trust me as your expert!
I provide my own expertise and cite research from trusted experts.
I rely on the basic principles from my Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the University of Illinois. Continuing education adds to my knowledge with agricultural classes from universities like UCLA, local programs from places like the Chicago Botanic Garden, and cooking classes from a wide variety of professional chefs.
My goal is to help you enjoy eating at home by knowing what fruits & vegetables are currently in season and the best ways to use them. To do that, I've put together seasonal produce guides with practical advice:
- Reliable ways to buy good-tasting fruits & vegetables from farmers markets as well as grocery stores
- How to use bland or sub optimal produce, like making the most of bland strawberries or fixing bitterness in cucumbers
- Recipes that use fresh, seasonal ingredients
The information on this site doesn't just repeat advice from a simple internet search. Instead, I extensively research each topic, reading through pages and pages of agricultural and food science publications.
Once I find useful information in a publication, I often reach out to the author for more information. I make sure I have an accurate understanding of the article. I then write a simplified explanation in my produce guides.
A resource for news sites & food bloggers
If you have a question or need a quote for an article, reach out via the contact form. I personally read every email.
The infographics on the site can be shared as long as you credit Ask The Food Geek and link to the article it originated from. Please link both the photo and text.
Almost all other images can also be shared with the same credit given. The main exception are the produce hero shots on white backgrounds. A majority of those are from professional photographers that I have the right to use but not share. For an example of what those images look like, visit this produce page. When in doubt, contact me.
Recipes cannot be republished without permission. Magazines and other publications, feel free to reach out for permission. I'm usually happy to share!