Hi there! I’m Bella Brooks and I’m a 38-year-old self-taught cook living in the cozy, green hills just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. If you’re just starting your cooking journey, trust me, you’re in the right place. I’ve been where you are, and I promise, the kitchen doesn’t have to be intimidating it can be the most welcoming room in the house.

I didn’t grow up surrounded by homemade feasts or generations of family recipes. My mom was often working late, and most of our dinners came from the freezer or a box. I didn’t really discover cooking until my early twenties, when I tried to make a romantic dinner for someone special. Let’s just say the pasta was overcooked, the sauce was under-seasoned, and there may have been a small fire in the oven (pro tip: don’t broil garlic bread unattended). But something about that chaos stuck with me. I wanted to learn more, to do better, to figure out how the magic actually worked.

I started from absolute scratch YouTube videos, dog-eared cookbooks from thrift stores, and a whole lot of trial and error. I’ve burned more cookies than I can count, forgotten salt too many times to admit, and once made pancakes so rubbery my dog wouldn’t eat them. But every one of those missteps taught me something, and more importantly, they taught me that messing up isn’t the end it’s the beginning.

I never went to culinary school, and I don’t use fancy jargon or expect perfection. My goal is to make cooking feel doable, fun, and even a little silly sometimes. If you’re nervous to turn on the stove or not sure what sauté even means, I’m here for you. This is about building confidence one step, one dish, one happy little accident at a time.

Nowadays, I teach beginners how to cook with love, patience, and plenty of real talk. I want you to feel like I’m right there next to you, laughing when your muffins overflow or giving you a high five when you finally nail that roast chicken. Because you can do this and I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.

So let’s dive in. Let’s stir, chop, taste, and learn. And if we end up with flour in our hair and dishes in the sink? Even better.

Bella