Hello, Welcome to Culinary Hill!
I’m Meggan, a classically-trained chef and professional writer. What does that mean? I like to cook food, eat it, and talk about it anyone who will listen.
I’m originally from Wisconsin (“America’s Dairyland”), but I’ve been living it up in California (“The Golden State”) since 2012. I have a husband, 3 kids, 2 cats, and a partridge in a pear tree.
I grew up eating spaghetti sauce with sugar in it, salads that resemble desserts, and cheese on everything. But I’m not a food snob! I still love all those things. These days, I like to put my culinary school education (and proximity to the most productive agricultural valley in the world) to work for home cooks everywhere. We all want to do more with less when it comes to our money and our time while feeding our loved ones the best possible food.
My main goal around here is to give you recipes that are easy to understand and work every.single.time.
It’s All About the Recipe
Nothing is worse than spending a bunch of money on ingredients, and time on a recipe, only to wind up with a complete disaster in your kitchen. And the kids are still hungry. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
I attended a 2-year Culinary Arts program in Southern California, and that education was invaluable to my cooking and recipe-writing skills. I went there hoping to learn some basics, and I graduated with knowledge of how to break down whole rabbits, shuck oysters, and pickle mustard seeds. You know, the basics!
I have a solid, classically-French foundation of how to prep ingredients, pair flavors and textures, and cook pretty much anything. Menu planning, catering, cooking on the line – I did it all, so you don’t have to.
I geek out on all the details like technique, yield, and relevant make-ahead advice, and I consider food safety to be a passion project. Whether you are using up leftovers, doomsday prepping, or just hosting your mother-in-law for brunch, I’ve got you covered.
Where to Start?
If you’re new to Culinary Hill, here are some great places to start.
- The homepage is a celebration of upcoming holidays and occasions. It’s always a good place to discover what’s new!
- Visit the Recipe Index to see all recipes by category or ingredient. Or, see all recipes by date (like an old-fashioned blogroll).
- Check out all our Chipotle Copycat recipes. These are some of the post popular recipes on the site, and with good reason!
- Master some culinary basics like homemade chicken broth, mayonnaise, meat sauce, mustard, marmalade, pesto, spice blends, and salad dressings.
- Sign up for my latest email series and weekly newsletter or daily recipe updates.
- Check out our full collection of Monthly Produce Guides so you can always cook what’s in season.
Fun Facts
- Education: I have degrees in Communications, Accounting, and Culinary Arts. I previously worked in software, branded products, healthcare finance, and international rights administration. Yawn!
- Family: I have 3 kids, Calvin (12 years), Charlotte (9 years), and Julian (4 years). The rest of my extended family is in the Midwest. My husband is from Aguascalientes, Mexico.
- Test Kitchen: Our physical test kitchen space is in Valencia, California. We use this space for testing recipes and other collaborative work. It’s fun!
- Sister site: “Loma Culinaria” is Culinary Hill in Spanish, and that’s exactly what LomaCulinaria.com is. When recipes appear on both sites, you’ll see a link between them.
- Gamer: I am a life-longer PC Gamer who has logged countless hours playing the Elder Scrolls games, Minecraft, and Roblox.
- Favorite recipe: It’s impossible for me to choose a favorite recipe, but some of my favorite ingredients include cheese (especially gouda, smoked Provolone, and Parmesan), arugula, poblano peppers, mushrooms, mayonnaise, potatoes, lemons, and bread. I also LOVE movie theater popcorn. It’s my fave!
I make these recipes all the time:
Breakfast Recipes
Homemade Pancakes
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Turkey Meatballs
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Broccoli
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
How to Make Chicken Broth
Bread Recipes
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Mexican Recipes
Chicken Tinga
Meet the Team
Questions or comments about a recipe?
If you have questions or feedback about a recipe, the best place to say something is on the post. That way everyone can see and benefit from our interactions. I love answering reader questions!
However, I don’t have any expertise in specialty diets and I’m not a registered dietician. I provide nutrition information within the recipe card, but those are generated by a program and may vary.
For anything else, please email me at hello {at} culinaryhill {dot} com
Culinary Hill is a registered trademark of Meggan Hill.