About

A deep love of food was instilled in me from childhood. Growing up on a small Texas farm I spent a lot of time picking berries, collecting eggs, chasing cows, milking goats, herding barn cats & playing in the weeds. I got to watch my dad make fresh cheese & beer. There was an uncomfortable experience with butchering a Thanksgiving turkey too, aptly named "Thanksgiving". My mom baked. A lot. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were plentiful. I've landed somewhere between my dad's adventurous experiments in food & my mom's tried-and-true classics.

After leaving the fog of art school I realized that I had no clue what I wanted to do "when I grew up" or what I really even liked. Several tedious, retail-ish jobs later I came to food. I've always cooked & enjoyed it, but it didn't seem like anything unusual. Doesn't everyone relax by whipping up a 3 course meal? Didn't they all grow up on stools in kitchens? Don't they all love spending way too long around the dinner table? No. I guess not.

That's when I decided to start Cloves & Cream. It's my goal to make cooking enjoyable & approachable for others. Particularly for younger cooks - those with tiny hole-in-the-wall kitchens, little time & less equipment. Often cooking is skirted around by 20-something cooks because it seems like too great an undertaking. It's really not. All you need is 30 minutes or so, a bit of patience & a hungry belly.

Right now I'm a Southern Californian. A Santa Barbaran to be specific. I live in a tiny late 70's apartment with my artist/grad. student husband, Ray. I love green peas, sausage, spicy foods, tacos, rosemary, espresso, garlic, beer, dark chocolate, & mint -- in no particular order. Oh, that's me up there munchin' on a coconut. Nice to meet you!

Cloves & Cream has been featured on:If you have any questions feel free to get in touch with me via email: laura[at]clovesandcream[dot]com.