The Cooks Next Door

Probably more than you ever wanted to know but just in case you are wondering…

How long have you known each other?
We can’t remember exactly when we first met but we think it was sometime in the fall of 1996.

Where do you live?
We live in Indianapolis, Indiana – not quite next door but very close.

Do you have culinary degrees?
No, we are home cooks.  We read cookbooks recreationally, we plan menus, and we experiment in the kitchen.

Do you really try all of the recipes you post?
Yes, one or both of us has tried every single recipe we have posted.

Are there any foods that you don’t like?
Well…while we try to have open minds when it comes to food, we do have one or two things that we don’t prefer.
Heather – beans and peas
Alaina – fennel, anise, olives

Where do you get all of your dishes?
We frequent thrift stores and look at garage sales for the perfect plate or dish for photographing. We are still growing our collections and working on our photos and food styling.

Do you do your own photography?
Yes and we are still learning a lot – so please bear with us!

What’s your first cooking memory?
Alaina – making scrambled eggs in the microwave for my family. My brother had just been born and I was probably around the age of 6. I also have vivid memories of cooking and baking for 4-H and even have a scar from burning myself on a cookie sheet. One of my biggest flops was accidentally substituting baking soda for baking powder (or vice versa) – yuck!

Heather – my first kitchen memory is the morning I came downstairs in my bathrobe and stood on a chair at the counter while my mom was using a butcher knife. My baby sister started crying and my mom instructed me not to touch the knife as she ran out of the room. What else does a four year old do? I touched the knife, got cut, and wiped the blood all over my bathrobe. I don’t remember having any more knife accidents as a child.

What’s your favorite cooking/food memory?
Alaina – There are so many! Here are a few – canning with my mom, learning to make fudge with my grandma, and cooking straight from the garden and orchard at the living history museum.

Heather – making cut out Christmas cookies with my mom and sisters each December; going to visit relatives on family vacations and eating food we never got (like English muffins, Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, cold cuts, ranch dressing, soda, seafood, bacon and ham); exploring food and cooking in foreign countries.

What’s your favorite dish to cook?
Alaina – Probably pizza – it’s delicious and easy and my family loves it! It also represents family time for us. I also like to bake and there is nothing like pulling a cobbler or pie hot out of the oven and enjoying it with ice cream. So I really like to make them!

Heather – my mind keeps wanting to answer “What’s your favorite dish to eat?” and that would be “Rarebit Chicken”, a recipe I got out of BBC Good Food and have made over and over and over again. It’s chicken breasts cooked with a topping of grainy mustard, a bit of milk and grated cheese and then a few tomatoes thrown around the edges. Rarebit Chicken with roasted potatoes and steamed veg would be delicious!

What’s your favorite aspect of cooking?
Alaina – Sharing the end result with others. It’s the perfect ending to all of the preparation!

Heather – I actually enjoy planning what I’m going to cook, and of course the best part is eating what has been cooked! I tend to like baking better than cooking, but, since I don’t eat a lot of sweets, I end up cooking more.

What’s your idea of a perfect meal?
Alaina – Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Salad, Hot Rolls, and Pie shared with my whole family. Or maybe brunch. But really, the people I share it with is what makes it so perfect.

Heather – Roast beef with gravy, roasted or mashed potatoes, steamed green beans or broccoli, spinach salad, and blackberry pie with tea for dessert.

Do you cook with your kids?
Alaina – Absolutely! Not as much as I probably should but they love it! In fact, we plan to occasionally feature ideas and recipes for cooking with your kids.

Heather – Yes. And some of mine are beginning to get to the stage of cooking on their own, which is very helpful, but also messy! My kids love Jacques Pepin and watching him on DVD is a special treat.

Who/What inspires you in the kitchen?
Alaina – My mom and my grandmothers – they are all excellent and inspiring cooks. Fresh ingredients, beautiful food photos, and new recipes also inspire me.

Heather – I love reading about food, food memoirs, food magazines, looking at pictures of food. A trip to a nice grocery store or farmer’s market is also very inspiring. Sometimes just buying a cartload of fruit and veg is all the inspiration I need.