The kitchen is not only a space for cooking.
It’s also a spot where the spiciest conversations happen. A corner, where you want your dearest ones to enter. It’s the most homely room in your house.
I would be happy to get a chance to visit you in your precious kitchen on your phone, pad, laptop, printed recipe sheet, or whatever form you want me to be there. And together, let’s cook something yummy.
My recipes are inspired and influenced by my heritage, and they highlight a lot of Scandinavian, Northern European, and Eastern European recipes. I was born and raised in North and have had deep studies of the Swedish language and culture.
Another aspect that may characterize my attitude towards food is that I really don’t like the hardcore diet culture. I think that we should forget the endless dieting and stop starving ourselves. If you have a craving, then satisfy it right away. Otherwise, you will just overeat later.
Here is my mantra: Do what you love and eat what makes you happy.
About me – just a little peek at my story
My grandparents have had a big influence on my food journey. Such a cliché, isn’t it? Grandmothers usually awaken the foodie spirit in people. I started cooking with her around age six, and my favorite dish was her hearty, buttery mushroom soup. Grandpa was also a great home cook. Even though they cooked traditional dishes, they embraced modern ideas about food. They drew inspiration from various European cuisines and classic American dishes, as seen in the many cookbooks they bought during retirement. Yet at the end of the day, they honored their heritage and cooked not by the books, but by following their traditions and inspirations.
Aside from my grandparents, my dad owned a restaurant when I was a child. It was a marine and sea-inspired venue, serving a fusion of Eastern European cuisines, particularly Ukrainian, Armenian, and Serbian, along with classic pub food. Without realizing it, that close exposure to the hospitality world carved a special place in my heart and likely fueled my passion for food.
My heart belongs to timeless organic comfort food, funky street food, and healthy interpretations of modern fast food. But I’m genuinely interested in all types of wholesome, nourishing food.
My recipes are also inspired and influenced by my Northern heritage, and they highlight a lot of Scandinavian and overall Northern European recipes. I was born and raised in the North and have had deep studies of the Swedish language and culture.
There has been much discussion about comfort versus healthy food. For me, cozy comfort food is always the same as deeply nourishing food. Isn’t the most nutritious choice something that makes you happy and is satisfying to prepare? Food made from high-quality ingredients and is minimally processed is rarely unhealthy because it feeds your soul and lifts your spirits.
I’ve practiced Ashtanga Yoga for many years. Even though I am a yogi, I don’t restrict myself from eating meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. For me, the freedom to make choices at any moment is the most important spiritual aspect. Don’t get me wrong—I love vegan and vegetarian food, and many recipes here fall into those categories. But I’m more like what the trendy term describes: a flexitarian.
Yoga has brought another beloved cuisine to me, which I have implemented a lot in my kitchen: Indian food. I first dived deep into the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, and now I just simply cook all kinds of Indian food. This gives me a nice variety compared to my local cuisines.
If you visit this site years after its launch, I’m excited to share my first post here. It’s fun and heartwarming to glimpse a creator’s first steps. I often scroll to the bottom of a blog or website to see how everything started! Here we go: https://takemetoyourkitchen.com/recipe/oatmeal-cookies/.
Previously, I had a few food-related projects: two small recipe blogs and two tiny bakeries. The photography aspect became increasingly important to me over the years, and now it stands as my second main focus, next to recipe creation. To view my photography portfolio, you can check it out here and then, of course, come back: Helena-Laura.
Feel free to reach out to chat, comment, ask about recipes, inquire about collaboration options, discuss exciting projects, or just share your feedback on my work!
