Check Out Lauren Grier’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Grier.

Hi Lauren, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
About 13 years ago, during a long spell of interview after interview, I experienced the old “one door closes another opens” thing. See, I was clocking heavy hours watching TV, mostly cooking shows.

I was in a slump, but the idea of cooking somehow made me feel a little better. The careful preparation, the rhythm of slicing and chopping, and the way the pros used all five senses; it was mesmerizing. Something started to click.

To that point, my culinary knowledge amounted to a hill of beans. I had no love for cooking, and in many ways, the food itself was an afterthought. Like a lot of you, I had childhood memories of fun family dinners and moments when a meal made you want to sit a little longer at the table. But I had never felt a true calling or a passion for putting food at the center of life.

Until something clicked.

Or snapped, or wiggled, or shimmied, or whatever a swordfish does. Because that was the first thing I was too curious not to cook.t was uphill from there. I was bound and determined to learn, so I started playing with food at every opportunity and reading books like Jacques Pepin’s Complete Techniques to sharpen my skills.

By the time my seventeenth job interview rolled around, my priorities had shifted.

Over time, I put my passion out there. I started The Curious Plate, and slowly began to connect with other bloggers and readers. As I became part of a community, my kitchen encounters made a big leap, too, and I began to make my own recipes.

Years passed, and I tweaked and experimented, failed, and succeeded day by day. MY FIRST COOKBOOK, MODERN COMFORT COOKING, PUBLISHED IN 2017, IS A COLLECTION OF MY FAVORITE CLASSIC DISHES, MADE NEW AGAIN. Developing and writing this cookbook taught me that food is an important connector in life. It connects us to the past, to ourselves, and to the people around us. Comfort food makes the best connections, I think.

Today, after countless trials and tribulations in the kitchen, travels across the world experiencing the best flavors and ingredients, a cookbook, a kid, and a marriage of almost 15 years, I have come out on the other side has grown so much as a person. For me, food is exploratory. I love to “mind” the gap or figure out what about the recipe hasn’t been done before and create fresh flavors and irresistible mash-ups that inspire my readers.

After all, cooking is a learning process, a journey. Defying the norm and uncovering a new method, a new ingredient, a new special something – these are the things that, to me, make cooking one of the grandest experiments in life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The entrepreneurial road is never paved. I’ve struggled with every aspect of business, but those failures have led to my biggest success.

Important lessons I have learned:

You CAN teach yourself how to cook, but be open to learning. Playtime in the kitchen, and taking risks, are always valuable. To cook well, you must boldly follow your senses and embrace curiosity. There is no other thrill like creating something from nothing.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the content creator behind The Curious Plate which is a recipe and travel website. I create and develop recipes for clients such as Harry & David, Starr Ranch Growers, Certified Angus Beef, and more.

If I’m not creating recipes, I am traveling with family and working with tourism boards on curated travel guides. I’m known for my food photography and styling and am proud to say that I published a cookbook: Modern Comfort Cooking. The one thing that sets me apart from others. is my perseverance.

Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Talk shop with different professionals in different industries. The knowledge you will gain from these perspectives is invaluable and will allow you the space to look at your own industry through a different lens.

Contact Info:

• Website:www.thecuriousplate.com
• Instagram: @thecurious_plate
• Facebook: @thecuriousplate
• Twitter: @thecuriousplate

Image Credits
The Curious Plate