Brianna Bain

Name: Brianna Bain, Co-Founder & Editor of RecipeRelay

Location: La Mesa, California

Food Ideology: I consider my ideology to be an attempt at a harmonious blend of ecological, health, pleasure, and convenience. Although, I can find myself at a crossroads between convenience and ecological, and  health and pleasure  do battle at times.   Raised by a mother who exposed me to an array of alternative methods to healing the body, I took a strong and fast interest in the power of food at a very young age. Immediately after high school I spent 3 years working for the Optimum Health Institute of San Diego where an organic, whole and raw food diet are provided as a foundation to improving the physical, mental and spiritual well-being. The time spent there influenced my personal style in preparing food that always keeps my health in check.  Aware of the implications of my actions as a consumer and the benefits of organic whole foods for the health of the body and the earth, I  ambitiously move  forward in my exploration of food and the systems they flow through to learn new ways to find the balance that makes sense for me and my environment.

Cooking Strategy: I like to use what I’ve got in the house to make something  super tasty and good for you.  There is something very exciting for me in the challenge of piecing together a great meal with ingredients on hand that may have an unlikely  culinary relationship or just pushing myself creatively to avoid another trip to the store. Keeping an open mind and a willingness to experiment have played as key components in my development as a cook and my love for creating satisfying healthy meals. I usually find my best creations come from a combination of two or three recipes and have a heaping spoonful of  intuition. Oh, and having fun in the process is a must, seems to always make food taste better.

First Cooking Memory: (age 7) Frying an egg for the first time by myself, burning the butter before I could even get the egg to the pan, ending in a traumatic burn on my arm. Still have a scar!   It was good lesson in timing and temperature!

Handicap: No Winter

Food Sources: Tierra Miguel CSA San Diego Farmers Markets, Trader Joe’s, Henry’s Market, and my backyard herb garden.

Cuisine I Can’t Live Without: Mediterranean, more specifically Greek, oh and I can’t live without Moroccan spices!

Favorite Kitchen Tool: Victorinox Knife

Secret Ingredient: Mustard

Guilty Pleasure: Goat cheese

Milk or Dark: Darker the better!

Dogs or Cats: Both

Sauna or Steam: Steam

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 kitchen tools would you want to have with you?

500 yrds poultry twine, spuknife (a knife spoon) and a fryer basket