About
Welcome to Craving California. I’m Leigh, a chef living in Los Angeles, where the sun-drenched farmers’ markets and vibrant food scene keep me perpetually inspired. After working my way through professional kitchens, I realized I wanted to create a space where I could share my passion for food in a more personal way. Craving California is a celebration of casual, seasonal cooking – a collection of recipes and stories gathered from years spent working in restaurants, private homes and my own ever-evolving kitchen.
Craving California is a community where everyone is welcome. My goal is to inspire you to step into the kitchen with curiosity and confidence. Whether you’re a total newbie or a seasoned cook, I hope you find inspiration to try new recipes, learn new techniques, and maybe even make a few happy –and delicious– messes along the way.
More than just recipes, I hope this site becomes a place where we can connect over our shared love of good food, good company, and the quiet magic that happens in the kitchen. Because for me, the kitchen is more than just a place to cook; it’s a sanctuary, a place where we can find grounding amidst the ups and downs of life, where the simple act of making dinner can be a radical act of care for yourself and your community. I truly believe that cooking actively contributes to the wellbeing and positive development of the people and environment around us.
5 Facts About Leigh:
- I live in West Hollywood with my fiancé (also a chef) and our dog Theo. Theo has been a part of the Craving California team from the beginning serving as our very eager in-house taste tester.
- One of my favorite places to hang –besides my kitchen– is a thrift store. On a typical Saturday you can find me scouring second hand shops for vintage cookware, books and art. I love it so much I recently opened a little online thrift store to share some of my favorite kitchen and dinnerware finds: Mise en Place Home.
- When I was little I learned about cooking from watching cooking shows on PBS. My favorite shows were Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home and Americas Test Kitchen.
- While I’ve called California home for over 15 years, I actually grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. I still love visiting Annapolis, especially in the summertime during crab season. My fiancé grew up in Cornwall, England. We try to spend a few weeks each year in his hometown of Padstow, a beautiful, coastal town in the southwest of England.
- I keep a meticulous running list in my notes app of my most-loved Los Angeles restaurants. It’s easily the most organized space on my phone – I’m obsessed with keeping it up to date. My top 5 LA restaurants are: Ruen Pair, Chi Spacca, Cosa Buona, Gjusta and Sonoratown.
The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.
― Julia Child
Craving California Press:
- Craving California’s recipes have been featured in BuzzFeed, CNN, Food Gawker, BobbyBerk.com, Food52, Reader’s Digest, The FeedFeed, Woman’s Day, The Pioneer Woman and more!
- Craving California was recently rated #1 in The 60 Best California Food Blogs by FeedSpot!
Stay In Touch
Follow Craving California on social media to stay up to date with all my latest posts: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok.
Or, send me an email: Leigh@cravingcalifornia.com
