Hi! I’m Mariel. Thanks for checking out Cooking is Messy.
I love cooking and all the recipes on this blog are made in my kitchen in Washington, DC. Before that, I cooked in tiny kitchens in Arlington, New York City, and London. I like to blame my messes on the lack of space, but in truth, it might just be me.
I started this blog because I wanted to learn to cook. I wanted to make the Puerto Rican dishes my parents made for me when I was growing up. I wanted to satisfy my sweet tooth by making homemade cookies and cakes. And I wanted to be able to whip up an easy but tasty weeknight dinner. I’ve learned a lot over the years, but this is still a place where I can learn and try new foods. It’s also important to me that these recipes help other people want to get into the kitchen and learn to cook so I regularly post beginner friendly recipes.
In addition to beginner recipes, you’ll find all kinds of random recipes from many diverse cuisines – things like Scottish desserts, Thai iced tea, and whole roasted chickens. I’ll cook anything if it makes me feel good. Food is emotional; it can surprise us, soothe us, and connect us to places and to each other. Good food reminds me of my family, favorite restaurants, beloved childhood treats, and delightful vacations. I like to cook things that evoke a memory and make me (and the anyone I feed) really happy. It can be a little all over the place, but I hope you’ll find these posts interesting, inspirational, and most importantly, mouthwatering.
But why is this blog called Cooking is Messy? Here’s the truth: I’m a gigantic mess in the kitchen.
No matter what I cook, or how much I learn and improve, I always make a huge mess. I splatter sauce on the wall, I get hit on the head with things that fall from the cabinets, and I spill flour everywhere. Still, I push through and what I make comes out pretty tasty. And the same can be true for you. (Hopefully without things falling on your head!) We don’t have to be perfectly organized and neat to make delicious food. So, let’s cook, learn, eat and be messy together.
From 2014-2016 my husband Ryan and I lived in London, England. During those two years I wrote a regular travel post called Tourist Tuesday. It was a way for me to connect with family and friends back home, push me to explore in and around my new home, and promote my professional interest in museums. I have a Masters in Museum Studies from NYU and I love visiting, working in, and talking about museums. In addition to being a diary of my expat adventures these posts can be used as information, advice, and inspiration when planning your own trips in and around the UK. You can check out all the posts on the travel page.
Outside the blog I work as an educator at Live It Learn It in Washington, DC teaching kids and taking them to historic sites and museum across the city. I also love Star Wars, knitting, and video games. Want to contact me? I can be reached at cookingismessy@gmail.com.