Home

About

At InspiredChef, our passion is sharing the joy of cooking. My name is Clara Smith, and I founded this website to provide helpful information, tips, and inspiration for home cooks of all levels. 

Cooking has been a huge part of my life from a young age. I grew up in a family that loved good food. My mother taught me the basics in the kitchen, and my grandmother would let me help her bake cookies and pies. I was fascinated by cookbooks and loved experimenting with new recipes. In high school and college, I worked as a line cook at a few local restaurants. Those experiences taught me about efficiency, organization, and working under pressure - skills that I still use today!

After college, I decided to turn my lifelong love of cooking into a career. I attended culinary school, where I expanded my knowledge of ingredients, techniques, and global cuisines. Upon graduation, I worked for several years as a sous chef at a popular bistro. The fast-paced environment was thrilling and exhausting. I loved creating dishes and managing the kitchen, but I found myself craving something more flexible and creative. 

That's when I decided to launch InspiredChef. I wanted to share my passion for home cooking with others in a more personal way. InspiredChef provides:

  •  Hundreds of original recipes, from quick weeknight meals to elegant dinner party fare. I develop and test each recipe myself in my home kitchen.
  • - Cooking tips and tutorials covering topics like how to stock a pantry, use knives properly, and prepare common ingredients. These are based on techniques I learned in culinary school and professional kitchens.
  • Seasonal and holiday cooking inspiration to help readers make the most of what's fresh. Menus, decor ideas, and recipes reflect the flavored of each season.
  • Spotlights on my favorite cookbooks, kitchen tools, and ingredients to cook with. I'll tell you why I love them and how to use them.
  • Quick cooking videos to demonstrate recipe techniques. Watch me prep ingredients and cook recipes from start to finish. 

My goal is to inspire home cooks to get creative in the kitchen and elevate everyday meals. Cooking should be fun, approachable, and tailored to your personal tastes. I provide the building blocks to empower you in the kitchen with confidence.

At InspiredChef, you'll find an extension of my own kitchen. All recipes are tested thoroughly to ensure they work flawlessly and taste great. I strive to explain cooking methods clearly and give substitutions when possible. The photography showcases beautiful finished dishes you'll be proud to serve.

Cooking has brought me so much joy, and I want to pass that on to you. So explore my recipes, read up on tips, and let InspiredChef help you find your cooking groove! Please drop me a line anytime - I'd love to hear from you!

Author(s) 

Author Profile: Clara Smith

Clara Smith is the founder, recipe developer, and photographer behind InspiredChef. She turned her lifelong passion for cooking into a career aimed at helping home cooks elevate everyday meals. 

Clara grew up in a family of enthusiastic cooks. Time spent cooking with her mother and grandmother as a child sparked a lasting curiosity and love of food. In high school and college, she honed her skills working at local restaurants that further fueled her interest in the culinary arts. 

After earning a degree in journalism, Clara attended culinary school to formally train as a chef. She expanded her culinary horizons and honed the techniques that inform her recipes and tutorials today. Clara then spent several years working as a sous chef at a popular bistro where she managed the kitchen and created dishes under intense pressure.

While Clara enjoyed the fast-paced restaurant environment, she craved more flexibility and creativity. She launched InspiredChef to share her recipes and tips with home cooks who want to take their cooking to the next level.

Clara develops each recipe in her home kitchen, photographing and testing extensively to ensure it works perfectly every time. She aims to explain techniques clearly, provide substitutions, and help cooks gain confidence in the kitchen.

When she's not in the kitchen, Clara enjoys traveling, gardening, and hiking with her dog. She's also a voracious reader of cookbooks and memoirs. Clara lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Michael who happily serves as taste tester and dishwasher.

With InspiredChef, Clara has combined her professional training and personal passions into a website dedicated to inspiring and educating home cooks everywhere. She hopes to pass on the joy and life lessons cooking has brought her.