Behind the Scenes at Love & Lemons

Ever questioned how we arrive up with recipes? Obtain out below! I’m answering some of your most common queries in this driving-the-scenes peek.


Phoebe whisking sauce and Jeanine chopping cilantro at the kitchen counter


Hey, satisfied Tuesday! We publish a ton of recipes here, but it’s been a although due to the fact I’ve provided you an update on our system driving the scenes at Like & Lemons. I thought I’d take today’s article to give you a sneak peek into the Really like & Lemons kitchen area and respond to some of the inquiries I often get from readers like you!

I started out Appreciate & Lemons in 2011 as a location to share seasonal recipes and cooking tales about my husband Jack and me. I did the cooking, and Jack and I would photograph recipes out of our dwelling kitchen area, then in Austin, Texas. Flash ahead 11(!) a long time to now, and Really like & Lemons has evolved quite a bit. For just one, we stay in Chicago, and we lately started out operating with an astounding photographer and food stuff stylist who just take images for the blog and a talented movie crew who create the recipe video clips. I’m also no for a longer period doing all the cooking by myself. Instead, I do the job with Adore & Lemons’ senior editor and recipe developer, Phoebe, to take a look at and fantastic every single recipe.


Jeanine holding skillet with whole roasted cauliflower and Phoebe stirring pot of soup on the stove


Phoebe has been functioning with us considering the fact that 2018, when I was in the middle of writing Adore & Lemons Just about every Day. She began out tests recipes and accomplishing prep for our photoshoots and now operates on just about just about every aspect of Love & Lemons! A couple enjoyment specifics about her:

  • Phoebe is initially from Wisconsin but now life in Chicago.
  • She obtained into seasonal cooking just after functioning for a summer on an natural vegetable farm.
  • Salads and veggie mains are her preferred recipes to create.
  • But she’ll also never transform down dessert.

Reader Q&A

How do you appear up with recipes?
We are generally imagining seasonally, and peak-period produce is the starting off position for most of our recipes. In the fall, for instance, we know we’ll want to aspect a few kinds of squash, as very well as apples, Brussels sprouts, and of system pumpkin. We also check out to offer you recipes that we know audience will discover helpful at distinct moments of calendar year, like meal prep recipes in September or facet dishes prior to Thanksgiving. (If you at any time have a recipe ask for, let us know!) We get inspiration from cafe meals much too. It’s unattainable for me to go to Avec, Lula Café, Kite String Cantina, or Still left Coastline in Chicago without seeking to experiment with a new dish!

Phoebe and I sit down every pair of months and pick a set of recipes we want to create. From there, we make a testing schedule and do any necessary study on a dish’s background or substances. Finally, we commence cooking!

Do you check each recipe?
Yes! Phoebe and I exam collectively most times of the 7 days, and occasionally we also divide and conquer on our very own. Some recipes do the job out just after just one or two assessments, though many others need to have three or additional. We produced this inexperienced bean casserole maybe 5 moments the yr we produced it. Neither of us ate inexperienced bean casserole at Thanksgiving that 12 months – we’d had wayyyy way too substantially in the weeks major up to it! Baking recipes are likely to consider lengthier also. We ate a large amount of cherry pie this summer and applesauce cake last drop!

What comes about to the leftovers?
We consume them! Phoebe shares some leftovers with her boyfriend Alex, and Jack, Ollie, and I try to eat the relaxation. As you might be expecting, the freezer comes in incredibly helpful when we have experienced to do a lot of recipe exams. Only on very unusual occasions do we have a are unsuccessful so epic that it ends up getting tossed (searching at you, blender muffins of 2020).


Phoebe stirring pot on the stove and Jeanine chopping mushrooms at the counter


What is your favourite recipe on the site?
Jeanine: Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Arugula Pesto
Phoebe: Citrus Salad with Fennel & Avocado

If you could only have 3 spices in your kitchen area, which would you decide on?
Jeanine: Smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander
Phoebe: Za’atar, chili powder, and cinnamon

What is your beloved drop veggie?
Jeanine: Sweet Potato
Phoebe: Delicata squash

What about a favored comfort and ease food items for fall?
Jeanine: Butternut Squash Soup and this Sweet Potato Salad
Phoebe: Eggplant Parmesan or this creamy squash pasta

Are you crafting a further cookbook?
Stay tuned!

We hope you seem to Enjoy & Lemons for day-to-day veggie inspiration and that you enjoy cooking our recipes in your house. Many thanks for looking at!

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