Don’t adjust your sets, folks. Last week was Noshings, and this week, The Noshery. No relation, except for a shared love for a good … nosh.

Remember that Posole recipe we mentioned in our recent Slow Cooker theme post? And the Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting from the Peanut Butter theme post the following week? (Hint: both are pictured above.) Well, it’s time we all met the woman behind those delectable dishes. Everyone, say hello to The Noshery.

The Noshery is Meseidy (pronounced Má-say-dee). Her names comes to her by way of the early 1970s movie “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth,” which her father had seen in Puerto Rico, dubbed in Spanish. He liked the name of a cavewoman in the film (Meseiby), changed the “b” to a “d” and reserved it for his darling firstborn.

Her father joined the Air Force shortly after getting married, and moved from Puerto Rico to Maine, where Meseidy was born on a small base close to the Canadian border. Being in a military family, she’s lived in several places for no longer than 5 years at a time, from as far north as Maine, as far east as Guam, as far south as Florida and Puerto Rico, and as mid-west as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she currently resides.

She says that because of her tall stature, fair skin, green eyes and complete lack of an accent, most people don’t believe that she’s 100% Puerto Rican. If you ask me, I think there’s a sure-fire way of convincing them without a word. Just hit them with a taste of any one of your incredible Puerto Rican dishes, and you’ll make believers out of them.

Clockwise from top left: Limber de Coco (Coconut Cream Popsicle), Pastelon (Puerto Rican Lasagna), Bacalaitos (Salted Cod Fritters), Slow-Cooked Puerto Rican Pulled Pork (Pernil), and Sancocho (Puerto Rican Beef Stew).

 
 
 
In Meseidy’s photo above, you see her with her husband Obed. They were married in 2008, and she credits him with saving her from a profession that she no longer enjoyed. The Christmas before they were married, he gave her a DSLR as a gift. She quickly combined her long-standing interest in photography and love for cooking, and launched her food blog, The Noshery, in the summer of 2008.

She enjoys the creativity that can come from cooking and watching people enjoy what she cooks. And if you think her Recipe Box holds mostly Puerto Rican dishes, think again. She’s got everything, from appetizers and sandwiches:

Clockwise from top left: Shrimp Cakes, Cuban Sandwich, Southwest Chicken Eggrolls with Avocado Creme Dip, and Brie Stuffed Meatballs and Red Wine Mushroom Sauce Hoagie.

 
 
 
To breakfast and dessert:

Clockwise from top left: Birthday Carrot Cake, Mantecaditos con Guayaba (Shortbread Almond Cookies with Guava), Bacon, Egg and Cheese Toastcups, Pan de Mallorca (Mallorca Bread), and Sweet Potato Biscuits.

 
 
 
And many other dishes from around the world.

Clockwise from top left: Ropa Vieja with Arepas, Crispy Indian Spiced Yogurt Chicken, Almost Carbonara, Herb de Provence Chicken, Pineapple Curry Glazed Chicken Skewers, and a vegetarian Roasted Butternut Squash, Pears and Onions with Blue Cheese.

 
 
So let’s get to the part of the post where we ask Meseidy some questions, and get to know more about the wonderful gal behind all these incredible dishes!

 
 
Q: What are your favorite ingredients or food pairings?
A: My favorite ingredient is Sofrito, which is a staple in Puerto Rican food. It is a puree of onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, culantro and few other things. It is really handy to have to add some flavor to any food, not just Puerto Rican dishes.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: I love Alton Brown because he teaches you about the basics and fundamentals of cooking. Who inspires me? It’s more like what inspires me. I have the cookbook “Cocina Criolla” (Puerto Rican Cookery, English Version) by Carmen Valldejuli that my grandmother gave to my mother, and that was given to me.

 
Q: Do you have a most memorable kitchen flop?
A: When I was 21, I hosted my first Thanksgiving away from home for friends who were also away from home. I wanted to make Arroz con Gandules (pigeon peas and rice) and mistook hot Jamaican peppers for ajies dulce (small sweet peppers) which my grandmother use to grow in her garden when I was little. I was chopping these peppers, which I didn’t know at the time were hot Jamaican peppers, and brushed hair off my face. A few seconds later, the left side of my face was on FIRE! I spent the next half hour with cold cream on my face, right up until my guests arrived. Needless to say, the rice was a little spicy.

 
Q: Other than hot Jamaican peppers (sorry, couldn’t resist), what ingredient gives you the most trouble?
A: Whipping cream. At first I get a good peak, and then it becomes runny.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: That rubbing your hands against metal with soap gets rid of strong smells on your hands, like onion, garlic and fish smells. I now have a metal soap-shaped bar that I always use. You can also use a large spoon.

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Thank you for answering our questions, Meseidy!

Check out The Noshery’s Recipe Box here at Tasty Kitchen for more of her incredible dishes. She’s got almost 50 recipes in there as of this writing, and in one of those pages, you just might find what’s for dinner tonight! You can also visit her blog The Noshery to learn more about this “Puerto Rican, military brat, newlywed, parent of 4 dogs named Jake, Girly, Buster and Honey, and mother of a camera named Roxy.”

 
She’s a Brooklyn native—a Brooklyn Italian, to be exact—who’s made a name for herself in the food industry. She’s a food writer and recipe developer, and has garnered praise from The New York Daily News, Time Out New York, and CNNfn. Her blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen, is a treasure trove of recipes for home cooks. Everyone, say hello to Jennie, known to us here at Tasty Kitchen as jenniferperillo.

Jennifer Perillo traces the start of her career to a Newsweek article about being a personal chef, which her then-boyfriend (now husband) showed her shortly after her father had passed away at the young age of 49. Reminded of the uncertainty and fleeting nature of time, she decided to pursue her dreams with renewed vigor. She started a catering business in 1999, followed by a foray into the New York City restaurant industry. Nowadays, she keeps herself busy at home with her young daughters, but her love for all things culinary remains constant. Her office is now her test kitchen in Brooklyn, and she also works as the consulting food editor for Working Mother magazine.

Jennie’s recipes have won accolades, and her test kitchen not only churns out delicious savory dishes but also staples, condiments, and “supporting role” items that folks often just buy from the store. She even admits to have joined a support group for her addiction to homemade ricotta.

Clockwise from top left: Tomato Onion Jam, Oven-Dried Potato Chips (And Apples Ones Too!), Caramelized Onion Dip, No-Cook Cranberry Salsa, Garlic Scape Pesto, and Creamy Homemade Ricotta.

 
 
 
For all the success she’s had, Jennie maintains that she’s still incredibly shy. “My big Brooklyn Italian personality aside, I’m pretty quiet left to my own devices. In fact, I enjoy solitude very much, and while cooking with friends is always fun, sometimes being alone with the veggies and a chopping board is what I need to find an inner balance.” Which is a very good thing, when you look at some of the wonderful dishes she has below that start with that solitary act of chopping veggies. It’s no wonder that her favorite kitchen tool is her Wusthof chef’s knife.

Clockwise from left: Lentil-Ricotta “Meatballs”, Vegetable Fried Rice, Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Onions and Ricotta, and Fried Green Tomatoes.

 
 
 
When asked if she has any favorite chefs or food celebrities, Jennie answered: “The real celebrities are the men and women getting into the kitchen on a daily basis and giving the gift of a home-cooked meal to their families. Creating recipes for home cooks to make their lives easier and tastier is my inspiration.” Easy and tasty indeed, like the wonderful vegetarian French Onion Soup you see below.

Clockwise from top left: Velvety Butternut Squash Soup, French Onion Soup, and Slow Roasted Tomato Soup.

 
 
 
Some of her favorite food pairings are garlic and oil, tomatoes and basil, and chocolate and salt. Wait. Did someone say chocolate?

Clockwise from left: Walnut Fudge Brownies, Brown Butter Banana Nut Muffins, and Chocolate Orange Spice Cake.

 
I could look at that fudge brownie all day. In fact, I think I’ll do just that while you read even more about Jennie and find out what ingredient she reaches for at the end of the day.

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: That’s easy—the sense of control and order. In a world that seems crazy and sometimes just doesn’t make sense, I know that when I cut cold butter into flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt, and add some buttermilk, then the guaranteed end result will be light and fluffy biscuits. And knowing I’m nourishing people and adding a smile to the faces of friends and family is a sweet reward too.

 
Q: What is the strangest food or food combo that you really, really enjoy?
A: When I was a kid I was intrigued by Laverne’s Pepsi & milk concoction, but I wanted to create something different. So I used to drink milk and orange juice together. Sounds gross, but it’s like a liquid creamsicle. I haven’t tried it in years, so might feel a little differently now.

 
Q: If you had to eat something right now, and had only 3 minutes to get it ready, what would it be?
A: The devil’s food cupcake sitting on my kitchen counter. It’s not homemade, but from a local chocolate shop that I modeled my signature recipe after. I bought it for the Mr. a few days ago and can you believe he hasn’t even licked the frosting off it yet? [Editor’s note: I’d chime in and say I can’t believe that, but I’m still ogling that fudge brownie.]

 
Q: Most memorable kitchen disaster?
A: Well, that would be just last week. For whatever reason, the waffles I made for breakfast the other day were a disaster. I blame it on mixing the batter before having a sip of coffee. Or maybe it was the baby clinging to my leg. Obviously, I forgot something. Thankfully we had some yummy homemade strawberry jam on hand and spread it on toast with butter. An acceptable comeback in my opinion.

 
Q: Complete the sentence: “I panic when I realize that I’m out of …”
A: Seriously, I never panic when I’m out of an ingredient. I just look at it as an opportunity to put a different twist on the recipe. Oh, wait does bourbon count? Because I really enjoy sidecars and old fashioneds, so maybe that might make me a bit nervous, especially come 5:00pm.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: That canning really is easy to do at home. Once you get past the fear of botulism, canning done properly is quick, easy and economical.

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Thank you for answering our questions, Jennifer!

 
You can see more of Jennifer’s recipes here in her Tasty Kitchen recipe box. If you want to see even more (and I know you do), head over to her blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen. It’s filled with so many goodies and great tips, and there’s a very good chance you’ll learn a thing or two from her.