Ever wondered how we come up with recipes? Find out below! I'm answering some of your most common questions in this behind-the-scenes peek.
Hey, happy Tuesday! We post a ton of recipes here, but it’s been a while since I’ve given you an update on our process behind the scenes at Love & Lemons. I thought I’d take today’s post to give you a sneak peek into the Love & Lemons kitchen and answer some of the questions I often get from readers like you!
I started Love & Lemons in 2011 as a place to share seasonal recipes and cooking stories about my husband Jack and me. I did the cooking, and Jack and I would photograph recipes out of our home kitchen, then in Austin, Texas. Flash forward 11(!) years to now, and Love & Lemons has evolved quite a bit. For one, we live in Chicago, and we recently started working with an amazing photographer and food stylist who take photos for the blog and a talented video team who create the recipe videos. I’m also no longer doing all the cooking by myself. Instead, I work with Love & Lemons’ senior editor and recipe developer, Phoebe, to test and perfect each recipe.
Phoebe has been working with us since 2018, when I was in the middle of writing Love & Lemons Every Day. She started out testing recipes and doing prep for our photoshoots and now works on just about every aspect of Love & Lemons! A few fun facts about her:
- Phoebe is originally from Wisconsin but now lives in Chicago.
- She got into seasonal cooking after working for a summer on an organic vegetable farm.
- Salads and veggie mains are her favorite recipes to develop.
- But she’ll also never turn down dessert.
Reader Q&A
How do you come up with recipes?
We are always thinking seasonally, and peak-season produce is the starting point for most of our recipes. In the fall, for example, we know we’ll want to feature a few types of squash, as well as apples, Brussels sprouts, and of course pumpkin. We also try to offer recipes that we know readers will find useful at different times of year, like meal prep recipes in September or side dishes before Thanksgiving. (If you ever have a recipe request, let us know!) We get inspiration from restaurant meals too. It’s impossible for me to go to Avec, Lula Café, Kite String Cantina, or Left Coast in Chicago without wanting to experiment with a new dish!
Phoebe and I sit down every couple of months and choose a set of recipes we want to develop. From there, we make a testing schedule and do any necessary research on a dish’s background or ingredients. Finally, we start cooking!
Do you test every recipe?
Yes! Phoebe and I test together most days of the week, and sometimes we also divide and conquer on our own. Some recipes work out after just one or two tests, while others need three or more. We made this green bean casserole maybe five times the year we developed it. Neither of us ate green bean casserole at Thanksgiving that year – we’d had wayyyy too much in the weeks leading up to it! Baking recipes tend to take longer too. We ate a lot of cherry pie this summer and applesauce cake last fall!
What happens to the leftovers?
We eat them! Phoebe shares some leftovers with her boyfriend Alex, and Jack, Ollie, and I eat the rest. As you might expect, the freezer comes in very handy when we’ve had to do a lot of recipe tests. Only on very rare occasions do we have a fail so epic that it ends up getting tossed (looking at you, blender muffins of 2020).
What’s your favorite recipe on the blog?
Jeanine: Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Arugula Pesto
Phoebe: Citrus Salad with Fennel & Avocado
If you could only have 3 spices in your kitchen, which would you pick?
Jeanine: Smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander
Phoebe: Za’atar, chili powder, and cinnamon
What’s your favorite fall veggie?
Jeanine: Sweet Potato
Phoebe: Delicata squash
What about a favorite comfort food for fall?
Jeanine: Butternut Squash Soup and this Sweet Potato Salad
Phoebe: Eggplant Parmesan or this creamy squash pasta
Are you writing another cookbook?
Stay tuned!
We hope you look to Love & Lemons for everyday veggie inspiration and that you love cooking our recipes in your home. Thanks for reading!
what is the food processor you use to make all your nut butters and oat flour? I did not see it in your store. Thank you!
Hi Kristine, it’s the Cuisinart 7-cup: https://amzn.to/3Kk076M
Love this! Thank you for all the recipes. I found your blog as a recent college grad in 2014 and it taught me how to be a much better cook. I gave Love and Lemons Every Day to my friend as part of a wedding gift and she recently texted me out of the blue to thank me saying that she uses it all the time. I’m also from the Upper Midwest so I love the Midwest team that you have. Looking forward to the thanksgiving recipes this year, as always 🙂
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes and thank you so much for gifting the book!
Is the monthly contest open to ???
I’ve emailed you this question 3x
Hi Jennifer, I’m sorry, I didn’t see your email – yes, I’ll email a gift card, so the winner can live anywhere.
I love all your recipes, they are well organized and delicious! thank you.
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying them!
so cool to know what goes on behind the scenes! definitely a lot of work, but looks awesome!
I live near Chicago, any events coming up such as in-person or virtual cooking classes?
Love this!!!