About

Hello. My name is Rachel. Welcome to my understated literary and culinary empire. This (mostly) food blog began as a New Year’s Resolution. In 2013, my father gave me an ironic gift. He gave his daughter, the then 28-year-old biochemist non-cook, Baking Illustrated. More in jest than in sincerity, I vowed to make a new recipe from that book every day for a year. Well I ran out of recipes after two months, long before I ran out of momentum. By the end of the year, I had made 270 fresh loaves of bread among other dishes. Ahem.

And so, to my delight, to this day the journey continues. No longer am I afraid of the kitchen; no longer do I desire to jump out of the way of domesticity or drop it like a hot potato. With élan, I mash the potato—and make deep dish pizza and therewith, hungry friends.

Who says resident physicians don’t have time to cook? It is my hope that as I continue to practice food as a personal sub-specialty, all the better will I be able to advise my patients about the practicality of healthy living. The time it takes to do this. In 2019, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so, notes on surviving cancer are here too.

As a reader of this blog, you should expect gallons of fantastic recipes, pints of wit and mirth, and a pinch of medical education when I’m feeling especially nerdy.  This blog is also about lifestyle and what it means to live in and love the city of New Orleans. Glitter, costumes, parades, community–a half-finished heaven on Earth.

Please know that while I am a doctor, I am likely not your doctor, so none of what I share here is intended as medical advice, make sure you check your choices with your personal physician!

I sincerely believe that food is the tangible, the mutable—the perfect totem for that which we consume without ever really having—like time.

38 thoughts on “About

  1. Wonderful! Your mother approved before the blog….long before the blog.
    Here’s to good eating and great health.

  2. I am super excited about this, Rachel. I am hlad that you are finding the culinary arm of your domestic side. Fun!

    1. Even if my “culinary arm” is just a phantom limb, it is the best itch I’ve ever had… thanks Linds. You really are my inspiration, here.

    1. Welcome Paul! Thanks! Now when you hear someone crashing around in the Whidbey kitchen after midnight you’ll know whose name to give to security. Chris.

  3. Hi Rachel, I read what you said about the people and the water of Northern Pakistan and I have heard of this type of water before. I guess it used to be very common around the world, but not anymore.

      1. Hi Rachel,
        I think that’s part of it . Also the water in the expanse (sky) presurized in air and that helped too.
        I’m doing OK. I’m getting a headach working on
        spettijohn.wordpress.com

  4. First of all congratulations for making it to medical school, not many people have the strength and motivation to go to med school, your mother must be one proud lady. Cooking is really a science and an art too. Thank you for visiting my blog. I really appreciate your courtesy.

  5. Bahaaa. I love that duodenum. I went to law school but now I’m working in a hospital so I get to see way too many bits of the human body, every day. Oh, and I still love Cheerios 😉 Thanks for visiting the mess. Happy to be following you back!

    1. Thank you–now six months into the resolution, I feel I have extinguished my fear of the kitchen and am becoming ever more bold…

  6. Wow great idea to write a blog. Even I think that taking resolution is the best way to proove yourself….All the best. Thanks for all your recipes they all are good.

    1. Thank you Prateeksha! I do try to sleuth out the healthy and nutritious recipes, but I confess, every now and then I have a weak moment and go for the cinnamon roll or the molten chocolate lava cake!

  7. Hi Rachel… I’m nominating you for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award.” I love your blog more with each post! Sharing recipes and tips on baking daily bread is a unique and wonderful blog idea. I’m so happy that I found you! 🙂 Even if you don’t accept awards, please accept my sincere appreciation of all you share. Please visit the following page for the details: http://carolynmalone.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/very-inspiring-blogger-award/ Happy baking… Carolyn

    1. Carolyn– Of course I accept the award, Thank You so much for the nomination! I find your blog just as inspirational! I shall pass it on– profound thanks!

      1. You’re most welcome, and thank you! It’s so great to see others connecting with you here through this little award. I’ve met some wonderful bloggers… so happy they are making their way to your page. You’ll have us all baking bread in no time! 😉

      1. Thank you! Sometimes I can’t tell if I cook just to have an excuse to write–unclear which is the more dominant obsession, but no matter– in cooking, the art is in pairing things, right?

  8. Love your blog. You have taught me so much about blogging in preparation for developing my own blog. In the near future, it will happen thanks to your inspiration and encouraging visit! Continue contemplation regarding the name and collecting data. Maybe I should just start! Appears that WordPress will be the winner. Thank you for all of your insight!

    1. Thank YOU for the fabulous squash soup and precious company. I wish you well and shall follow you wherever you may go with your project. The best thing to do is, indeed, start today.

  9. Heya Rachel!
    Have just come across your blog, interesting reads! Who says Doctors don’t have time to put into practise their non-medical hobbies/passion?! Haha. I wrote and posted my first blog post yesterday! Check it out… :).

    1. Thanks! and congratulations on starting a blog of your own! Look forward to knowing you.

  10. Hello!

    I saw your blog and thought it had great recipes and awesome pictures! I therefore would like to invite you to our new culinary website which has just started.

    This is how it works in short. TastyQuery.com is a website for food bloggers and their fans allowing them to automatically collect recipes from your food blog. It’s a large database of links to recipes on food blogs. Everyone can join us for free.

    For more please visit:
    http://tastyquery.com

    TastyQuery.com is an English version of our main website called “Mikser Kulinarny”, founded in Poland. “Mikser Kulinarny” has a large audience (over 2 mln unique visitors monthly) and with TastyQuery.com we want to repeat that success and drive thousands of new visitors to your food blog.

    In case of any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

    best regards

    Ania, TastyQuery.com

  11. Hi Rachel, I’ve forgotten exactly how I found your blog (I’ve been doing far too little work and too much blog-hopping today!), but I love it! I love your dedication to the culinary cause! And super good luck with med school 🙂 I found baking actually helped me chill out and also incidentally make a few extra friends along the way (this still applies now – my colleagues LOVE when it’s my ‘cake week’)!

  12. Hi Rachel! And thanks for dropping in on my little corner of wordpress. I love having new followers and hope you find something of interest and let me know what you think Anne

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