I have to first begin by thanking Blue Apron for offering such an incredible quality and variety of ingredients, easy to follow reciepe cards, and a wonderful service all around! They really encouraged me to branch out and take charge of the kitchen for a change and now I absolutely love to cook about three nights a week! (And no - they are not sponsoring us... yet!) 

Trust me, I didn’t start out that way. Mike was always the primary cook in this household, with me as his sous chef. I’d chop up a storm, preheat the hell outta that oven and conquer those dishes after we were done. But lately our roles have kinda reversed! 

Something about putting the fresh ingredients together in a hot, olive oil lined pan with the proper seasonings, at the just right temperature for the right amount of time used to be stressful. But smelling the developing sauces, taste-testing the dishes along the way and checking for the perfect al-dente Pasta is all very therapeutic.

I never realized how much creativity can be put into this art form! Adding extra ingredients, spicing it up, or cooking something a little different can really help take your meal from good to great! Plating your dish can also be a crowing presentation (which I often compliment with an iPhone photo.)

Vibrant color is always important to me! Fresh greens complimented by warm lighting always makes me think  - yum!  

Grated cheese, juicy tender meat and veggie variety with Sriracha droplets is always very alluring!  

I feel like we really get into the zone when we’re cooking. Following directions, and thinking of ways to improve the flavor, technique or flow​ gets our creative juices flowing! 

Even with something simple like chicken quesadillas we added a secondary cheese, extra lime and some Tapatillo to make it spicier and more authentic. 

Whatever dish we get, we always seem to make it our own! We like it salty, spicy and full of punch and flavor. No matter what, it’s always a fun process. 

Tonight’s dish did not include a recipe card or pre packaged ingredients from Blue Apron but applying the same lessons learned, I was easily able to create a simple sauce from garlic, a shallot, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.

It feels so good creating an edible, visually pleasing, and satisfying meal for us to share together. Through these processes, we have both become more cohesive, thoughtfully creative and perhaps a little heavier along the way - lol! Cooking has positively influenced our lives and I’m happy to write on this incredibly fun and delicious part of our lives! 

-Crystal Olguin

December 2, 2017