About

Hi, I'm Taylor Parker

Welcome to PepperyPlate! I'm Taylor, and I'm so glad you've found your way here. This website is where I share the recipes that have brought flavor, comfort, and a whole lot of joy into my kitchen over the years. If you're looking for real, approachable food that doesn't require a culinary degree but still delivers on taste, you're in the right place.

How Cooking Became My Passion

I grew up in Arizona in a family that didn't really cook much. My parents were both busy professionals who relied heavily on takeout, frozen meals, and the occasional barbecue on weekends. We ate fine, but there was nothing particularly memorable about our meals. Food was just fuel, not something we celebrated or spent much time thinking about.

When I went to college in San Diego, I lived in the dorms and survived on dining hall food and whatever my roommates ordered for late-night study sessions. It wasn't until I graduated and got my first apartment that I realized I had absolutely no idea how to feed myself beyond opening a can of soup or making ramen noodles.

I started learning to cook out of pure necessity and a tight budget. I couldn't afford to eat out all the time, and I was tired of surviving on processed food. I bought a basic cookbook, watched videos online, and called my grandmother—the one person in my family who actually knew her way around a kitchen. She lived in New Mexico and had this way of making everything taste incredible with just a few simple ingredients and the right spices.

Those phone calls with her changed everything for me. She taught me that cooking wasn't about following rules perfectly—it was about understanding flavors, tasting as you go, and not being afraid to adjust things. The first time I made something that actually tasted good, I was hooked. Cooking became my creative outlet, my stress relief, and eventually, something I genuinely loved.

Why PepperyPlate Exists

The name PepperyPlate came from my love of bold flavors and a little heat in my food. I'm not talking about setting your mouth on fire—just that perfect touch of spice that wakes up your taste buds and makes a dish interesting. My grandmother always said that a little pepper makes everything better, and I've carried that philosophy into my own cooking.

I started PepperyPlate about four years ago after friends kept asking me to share my recipes. I'd host dinner parties, bring dishes to potlucks, and people would always want to know how I made things. I had recipes scattered everywhere—in my phone notes, on random pieces of paper, in the margins of cookbooks. Finally, I decided to put them all in one place where I could easily share them with anyone who wanted them.

This website is for home cooks who want flavorful food without spending hours in the kitchen. It's for busy people who still want to eat well during the week. It's for anyone who's tired of bland, boring meals and wants recipes that actually taste like something. I share weeknight dinners that come together quickly, comfort food with a kick, desserts that satisfy, and seasonal recipes that highlight fresh ingredients. Everything here is designed for real American home cooks using ingredients you can find at any regular grocery store.

How I Create My Recipes

Every recipe on PepperyPlate is developed and tested in my own kitchen. I live in a normal apartment with a standard-sized stove and basic equipment. I'm not working with professional tools or a massive pantry of exotic ingredients. I shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and my local grocery store, just like most people.

When I'm developing a new recipe, I usually start with a flavor idea or a craving. Maybe it's something I had at a restaurant that I want to recreate, or a combination of ingredients I think would work well together. I make the first version, taste it, and figure out what needs to change. Sometimes the seasoning needs adjusting, sometimes the cooking time is off, sometimes the whole approach needs rethinking.

I make each recipe at least two or three times before it goes on the website. I want to be absolutely sure that the instructions are clear, the measurements are accurate, and the results are consistently good. If something seems confusing or if there's a step where things could go wrong, I rewrite it until it's foolproof. My goal is that when you follow one of my recipes, it turns out exactly the way it should—delicious, satisfying, and worth making again.

A Small Team Effort

While I handle all the cooking and recipe development, I don't run PepperyPlate completely alone. My best friend Jasmine helps me manage the website and content. We met in college and have stayed close ever since. She's always been more tech-savvy than I am, so when I decided to start this website, she offered to help with the technical side.

Jasmine handles the website updates, fixes things when they break, manages our email list, and helps me stay organized with a publishing schedule. Without her, I'd probably still be trying to figure out how to add a recipe to the site. We talk almost every day about content strategy, which recipes are performing well, and what we should focus on next.

She's also one of my main taste-testers. She'll come over for dinner, try whatever I'm working on, and give me brutally honest feedback. If something's not quite right, she'll tell me. If something's amazing, she'll request it again the following week. Having her input keeps me grounded and ensures that the recipes appeal to more than just my own palate.

My boyfriend also plays an unofficial role as a taste-tester. He's not particularly into cooking himself, but he has strong opinions about food and isn't shy about sharing them. Between him and Jasmine, I get the honest feedback I need to make sure these recipes actually work for real people.

My Promise to You

The most important thing to me is that you can trust every recipe on PepperyPlate. I know what it's like to waste time and money on a recipe that doesn't deliver, and I never want that to happen with something from my website. These are recipes I genuinely make in my own kitchen, and I want them to work just as well for you.

I'm not trying to impress you with complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients. I'm trying to give you solid, flavorful recipes that become part of your regular cooking routine. Whether you're an experienced cook or just starting out, these recipes are designed to be approachable, achievable, and most importantly, delicious.

How This Website Works

I want to be upfront about how PepperyPlate operates. The website earns money through advertisements and affiliate links. When you see ads while browsing the site or when I recommend products with purchase links, it helps support the work that goes into creating, testing, and maintaining all this content. It's what allows Jasmine and me to keep doing this and keep all the recipes free for anyone to access.

Let's Get Cooking

Thank you so much for being here and giving PepperyPlate a chance. Whether you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner, something special for the weekend, or just browsing for new ideas, I hope you find recipes that become favorites in your own kitchen. Take a look around, try whatever catches your eye, and let me know how it goes. I'm cheering for you!