Welcome to Mama Likes to Cook

Hello and thanks for stopping by Mama Likes to Cook. I’m Valerie, a single mom raising two kids in Southern California, and I started this food blog in 2008 as a way to document meals, experiments, and the little moments around our family table. What began as a hobby quickly became a joyful record of recipes, kitchen tips, and the ways food brings people together.

About Me and My Kitchen

I am not a professional chef—just someone who loves cooking and sharing food with family and friends. Our household is food-curious: we enjoy trying new dishes and flavors, and I often source ingredients from the many ethnic markets that make Southern California such a vibrant place to cook. Fresh produce, bold spices, and pantry finds from around the world inspire the recipes you’ll find here.

Although I follow a vegetarian lifestyle, my children do not, so our kitchen reflects a balance between plant-based meals and family favorites that include meat. This means I adapt recipes to be flexible and approachable for everyone at the table. I focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients whenever possible, and I love creating meals that are both nourishing and satisfying.

Our Homegrown Approach

We grow a bit of what we eat: our garden and fruit trees provide herbs, vegetables, and seasonal fruit, and our backyard chickens give us fresh eggs. Gardening has become an important part of how we think about food—seasonal homegrown produce often shapes what’s on the weekly menu and inspires new recipes. Sharing these homegrown ingredients with my kids helps them appreciate where food comes from and encourages them to try new flavors.

What You’ll Find on the Blog

This blog is a collection of recipes, simple cooking tips, and stories from our kitchen. Expect approachable vegetarian dishes alongside adaptable family recipes, ideas for using fresh market finds, and notes about how recipes can be modified to suit different tastes. I aim to write in a straightforward, practical way so readers can recreate meals at home without fuss.

My posts often include ideas for weeknight dinners, weekend projects, and ways to stretch ingredients so nothing goes to waste. I love combining flavors from different culinary traditions and highlighting the vibrant, multicultural food scene we enjoy here in Southern California.

Why I Write

Blogging about food has helped me connect with other home cooks, refine techniques, and build a library of family-tested recipes. It’s a space for sharing successes and learning from the occasional kitchen misstep. Most of all, it’s about celebrating the everyday rituals—preparing a meal, sitting down together, and enjoying conversation over food.

If you enjoy seasonal vegetarian cooking, family-friendly meals, and honest, home-tested recipes, you’ll find plenty to explore here. I hope my posts encourage you to try something new in your own kitchen and to savor the simple pleasure of a home-cooked meal.

Get in Touch

I welcome questions, feedback, and story ideas. If you’d like to reach me directly, email me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from readers who share a love of cooking, gardening, and family meals.

Warmly,

Valerie Mitchell