Hi, I’m Claire Adams — the home cook, recipe developer, and editor behind Kitchen Yum Ideas. I started this site in 2021 because I was tired of recipe blogs that buried real cooking advice under a wall of fluff. Every recipe you’ll find here has been tested in my own kitchen, often dozens of times, until it earned a spot in my regular rotation.
My promise to you
Every recipe on this site is something I have actually cooked. Not 150 different variations, not just inspiration from somewhere else. The recipe you read is the recipe I make at home. If a recipe doesn’t work the first time, I keep testing until it does. If I cannot make it work, it doesn’t get published.
I write in plain English. I tell you when a recipe is genuinely easy and when it takes some patience. I’m honest about which steps you can skip and which ones really matter. You’ll never see me tell you a 90-minute braise is a “quick weeknight dinner.”
My background
I have been cooking seriously for 12 years. I started in my tiny college apartment with one pan and a hand-me-down cookbook. From there I worked my way through farmers’ markets, ethnic grocery stores, and as much technique as I could absorb from books, classes, and a memorable summer staging in a small bistro kitchen. I am not a professional chef. I am a deeply enthusiastic home cook who has made every mistake worth making in a home kitchen, and learned from most of them.
How recipes get on this site
- I cook the recipe at least three times in my own kitchen.
- I test substitutions and variations so I can give you real swaps that work.
- I photograph the final dish without filters or fancy food styling.
- I write the article in plain English, edit it the next day with fresh eyes, and fact-check ingredient ratios and cooking times before publishing.
- I update older recipes when I find a better technique or a new ingredient that improves the dish.
Get in touch
If you have a question about a recipe, a suggestion for one I should try, or you spot a typo or error, please tell me. I read every email and reply to most. The fastest way to reach me is through the contact page. You can also follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
Thanks for cooking with me.
— Claire