A little more about me…

30 Jun, 2022

A little more about me...

Based in the good ol’ Midwest, I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, went to college in Ames, Iowa (go State!) and landed in Kansas City just over five years ago. My husband, Austin, and I have spent a lot of our free time getting to know and love the city- from BBQ to the coffee roasters, to new popups and wine bars- the city has evolved through the years, and it has been excellent to experience some of the new revival in KC. The inspiration the city brings me, and also our travels, are a really big part of what goes on in my home cooking journey.

I have always enjoyed cooking, and I learned a lot from my mom. She is the cook of the house, and even now, she asks which of our favorite meals she has to make when we come to visit. A lot of my family is from the South, and food means much more than just dinner at the table. A big component of the food culture is about comfort and the feeling of being home. Learning that early on, and when moving away to live on my own, cooking for myself became something I really looked forward to. (Actually, I think that might be why I hate leftovers. Because leftovers means that I DON’T have to cook, and if I’m not cooking… what else am I supposed to do???)

What inspired me to write a blog…

I started on Instagram January 2019, where I was finishing up my second round of Whole30 (which is an elimination sort of “diet”, meant to aid in reducing sugar cravings, increase focus on eating meats and vegetables and potatoes). I found so much cooking inspiration on Instagram for Whole30 and I had a lot of friends engage on my personal Instagram page about it. I decided to create a new IG handle just for my cooking, and Claire’s Table began. I don’t think I shared my first recipe until 2020, but shared a lot about the recipes I was cooking from other chefs and bloggers I followed. I do still share those today, and additionally I am obsessed with reading cookbooks just as much as I love cooking out of them too.

So, as I embarked on this IG journey, I began seeking more chefs, recipe developers, food stylists to learn about their cooking histories and the tips and tricks they had learned along the way. I’ll get more into it in another blog post, but my love for cooking and spending time in the kitchen is fueled by all those things I learned. The more techniques I learned when starting out, the easier cooking became. There are so many things I do now on “autopilot”, because I have learned how to react and respond to what’s going on in the kitchen. Some examples: Tomato sauce too acidic? Add sugar to cut through the acid. Making pasta or boiling potatoes? Season the cooking water with MORE salt than you think you need to season the noodles. Baking biscuits? Work fast, and use COLD butter to ensure the it doesnt melt before baking!

And I hope that my blog can be a source of empowerment and encouragement to get in the kitchen, and learn! Spend some time, really dig into flavors you like, learn a couple techniques to help you get there!

What you’ll find at Claire’s Table:

I’ll be sharing some of my favorite go-to recipes I make in my own kitchen that I think you’ll love. I will also share tips and tricks for home cooks! You may also see some kitchen renovations updates, as an unfortunate roof leak led me to totally repair then redesign my kitchen. Occasionally, I like to partake in long, intricate baking adventures- so you may see those too.

Welcome to my table!

Claire Jaspers

30 Jun, 2022