Hi there! Welcome to Encharted Cook. I'm Jan Nunes, the recipe creator and curator of this site. I want to show you how recipes are related. Because if you can make one delicious dish, you can make many more!
This is where you will find delicious recipes for both everyday and special occasions.
In addition to great recipes, you will also find my unique recipe and ingredient charts that show how recipes are related and how to choose the best ingredients.
Meet Jan
My love for cooking started when I was very young when my Dad taught me how to make coffee on the stove...perked coffee.
I remember that morning well. He asked me to stand in front of the stove as he turned on a front burner. He then asked, "Can you see the height of the flame?" I could see it and I had my first "cooking" lesson.
Of course, that first pot of coffee was nothing fancy like a cappuccino or latte. It was a working man's cup of joe that my Dad loved...and I loved making it for him.
That love for cooking has never left me. I read my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook cover to cover and I devoured every new episode of "The French Chef" and "The Galloping Gourmet". By 14 I was enrolled in cooking classes.
My passion for cooking has not diminished and over the years I have strived to stay current with new cooking trends as they have come up. My cooking and baking curiosity has led me to take classes whenever I could.
"I love cooking so much I want to share what I've learned over the years!"
I have had classes at some of the best culinary schools and venues in the San Francisco Bay area including Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma, the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, and the San Francisco Cooking School.
Of all the classes I have had, my all-time favorite class is “The Great Holiday Chocolate Class” with David Lebovitz back in 2004. It was a hands-on class, where we each made 5 different chocolate treats with direct supervision by David. I still can’t believe I was so lucky to spot the class offering and learn from one of the best pastry chefs of our time!
What Will You Find on Encharted Cook?
- Delicious recipes that I've collected over the last 50-plus years that I've made, loved, and tested many times.
- Recipe charts showing how recipes are related and ingredient charts comparing ingredients to help you understand recipes and help you create your own recipes.
- An email newsletter with seasonal information, recipe highlights, and the latest trends in food and cooking.
- Baking, cooking, and time management tips and tricks to save you time in the kitchen.
- A small bit of history about a recipe or technique in cooking and baking.
More About Jan and the Blog
The name came from an afternoon of friends gathered in my kitchen when I mentioned I was making recipe charts and wanted to start a blog. Over a few glasses of wine, we came up with Encharted Cook.
I've got several great recipes for beginners! How to Boil Potatoes is an all-around basic cooking technique that is a basis for many other recipes and is perfect for beginners. My Spaghetti Aglio with Green Peas is a great main dish recipe that has just a few ingredients and very simple instructions. And for dessert, my Cranberry Sugar pie is also super easy.
My best recipe chart that is super packed with information is my Basic Cake Recipes Chart. Every recipe is delicious and this chart lists cakes from lightest in fat with a light crumb to heaviest in fat with a dense crumb.
I don't specialize in vegan recipes, but there are some recipes that happen to be vegan like Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup and Tomato Cucumber Salad. A recipe is noted as "vegan" in the recipe card.
Sure! I will be happy to try to help you. Just shoot me an email at [email protected]
Jan's Favorite Recipes & Charts
So, Let's Cook! ~Jan
