Hey! *It me*

Welcome to Taking It Out on Food! My name is Marie Nina and I am an avid home cook and baker.

Cooking and baking have been my creative outlets for years. It’s what I do when I desperately need to simmer emotions and avoid bubbling over. [Pun intended.]

I’m Puerto Rican and to paraphrase Goldie Hawn in the First Wives Club: “I have feelings. I’m Latina. I have ALL of them!” Granted this is a horrible stereotype, but I do have all the feelings, so if the oven mitt fits…

At this point, others might ask for a non-judgement-zone, but that’s also very unlike me. Feel free to judge, in fact, go ahead and side-eye this entire blog- but let that not keep you from indulging in the yummy food and spinning-off my unfiltered rants.

Now, before I digress into an embarrassingly punny, GIF-filled rant that completely derails my point, let me tell you the reason behind this blog:

I love food. I’m also unapologetically myself and prone to ranting. I’m the friend that invites you to dinner, hands you a drink, and vents about life. I rarely stick to a recipe, mostly because some ingredients aren’t readily available- and when they are, they might cost a small fortune.

I do, however, think the kitchen is for anyone and everyone. Despite that, many people seem intimidated by complicated recipes and exotic ingredients. The truth is that a ton of things can be substituted while making a recipe- and sometimes leaving out something here or there won’t hurt the recipe at all.

What's most important when cooking is that you like how your finished product tastes. You may not have used exactly the right ingredients. You may have left something out because you forgot to buy it or because you really don’t like the taste of it. [*cough, cough* Star of Anise.]

The point is that you just have to make it your own.

That´s what I´m here to help you do while, hopefully, helping alleviate some tension with my utter lack of filter.

Now, either sit back or follow along, and let me host you while you experience the best way to vent about your day: *Taking it out on food*

Love,