Hi! I'm Monica...

My favorite childhood memories are being in the kitchen with my parents. My father is Egyptian-Israeli, my mother Ukrainian.

Though the regional culinary differences of their backgrounds were vastly different, they shared a traditional component: fresh, quality ingredients, cooked from scratch. They brought the two uniquely distinct flavor profiles of their own childhoods together to make some truly memorable dishes.

Today, as a wife and mother of two, I find myself in the kitchen re-creating and refining the recipes of my youth, while also creating some new ones of my own. At these times I am overwhelmingly grateful to my mom and dad; not only for the heartwarming memories and for the time I shared with my two loving parents, but also for the skills they taught, and instincts they helped to shape.

I used to wonder if during all those busy times in the kitchen with my parents, rushing around to get everything just right, if they hoped that I would be doing the exact same thing with my own kids one day. But I never asked. Today, as a parent myself, I know the answer to that question. Looking back, I am certain that is exactly what they were hoping.

So why did I start this blog? Three reasons. When I was 15 years old, my mother passed away after an 8-year battle with breast cancer. My father and I have spent years trying to remember and recreate the dishes mom used to make, because nothing had ever been written down. So, the first inspiration of this blog is to preserve, commemorate and pay homage to my mother, for one of the things we all truly loved and shared together. For the three of us.

The second reason is obvious. I’m starting to do the same thing with my own children, hoping to pass down this tradition. I want them to have a written and pictorial record of some of the fun times we have in our own kitchen every day.

The third reason is that I’ve met a lot of parents who have the time, but not the skills, or vice versa. People who appreciate great tasting homemade food, not only for its health value, but also to control exactly what is in their food. People who need to avoid potential allergens, possibly harmful preservatives, etc. And because homemade food, when properly prepared, tastes better than anything you can possibly buy, and even helps save some money, too.