FROM BOARDROOMS TO THE KITCHEN:

Twenty-seven years in marketing and client services taught me how to communicate clearly. The kitchen taught me patience.

After spending decades writing campaigns, managing accounts, and explaining products to clients, I semi-retired in 2022 with one goal: finally document the recipes I'd been making for my family since the late 90s. My daughter had been asking me for years to "write down the chicken thing" or "send me that pasta recipe," and I kept saying I would. I never did.

Recipe Dot started as a Google Doc shared with family. When friends started forwarding it to their friends, I realized maybe these recipes were worth sharing more widely.

CORE PRINCIPLES:

• Clarity over cleverness – No vague instructions, no "season to taste" without guidance
• Honesty in testing – If I failed 5 times before getting it right, I tell you why
• Real ingredients – Everything available at a standard grocery store
• Respect for your time – No 10-paragraph backstories before the recipe
• Practical results – Recipes that work on Tuesday night when you're exhausted

THE TESTING PROCESS:

Each recipe on Recipe Dot follows a structured approach:

• Initial Cook – First version to see what works
• Problem Identification – What confused me? What went wrong?
• Revision & Re-test – Adjust and cook again (minimum 3 times total)
• Documentation – Write clear steps with exact times and temperatures
• Final Verification – One last cook to confirm everything works

I keep a physical notebook tracking every test: what I changed, why it didn't work, what finally clicked. The honey garlic chicken? Forty-three tests. The chocolate chip cookies? Seven attempts before I stopped tweaking them.

WHY TRUST RECIPE DOT?

• No culinary degree – just 30+ years of home cooking
• Every recipe tested minimum 3-5 times in a regular kitchen
• Standard equipment only (no sous vide, no specialty gadgets)
• Grocery store ingredients – nothing you need to order online
• Written by someone who cooks tired, distracted, and hungry

THE RECIPE DOT KITCHEN:

I cook in a standard suburban kitchen. No marble counters, no professional range, no walk-in pantry. I have:

• One decent chef's knife (and two dull ones I should replace)
• A 22-year-old KitchenAid mixer from my wedding registry
• Three cutting boards of questionable quality
• A gas stove that runs slightly hot on the back left burner

Most cooking happens between 6-8pm with classic rock playing in the background. I clean as I go because facing a sink full of dishes after dinner feels like defeat. I prefer recipes that make great leftovers and have zero patience for anything that dirties every pot I own.