Meet The Loiseaus

I'm Jen Loiseau, and I started filming how-to cooking videos for my friends who found it difficult to follow recipes.

A month after beginning this adventure, I started to include my daughter, Maria, now 8, in the videos with me, and everyone just loved seeing her in the kitchen cooking.

Now, a year and a half later, with more than half a million viewers in more than 95 countries, Maria and I can say that our show, Amateur Kitchen, has helped people around the globe create healthier meals.

Maria and I debut a new recipe on our website, www.amateurkitchen.tv, weekly, which includes main dishes, side dishes, desserts, drinks and so much more. With more than 200 recipes and more than 90 how-to cooking videos, we have created a one-stop site for all of your meal and entertaining needs.

One of the questions I get most often is, “Do you have any professional cooking experience?”

Even though it may seem like I’m a professional chef (insert joke), I am not. I have no training in the kitchen other than the time I spent with family as a child. And the only food related job I’ve ever had was at a local pretzel shop in my hometown while in high school, which I don’t think qualifies as “professional” training.

Speaking of my hometown, I was born and raised in Watertown, S.D., where family traditions are huge. As a child, I spent almost every Sunday afternoon at my grandparents' house with the rest of my family, where we indulged in a large afternoon meal. My cousins and I would get right in the kitchen with our grandma where she’d always let us help her out. Many times, we would make the desserts, which is why, 20 years later, I am still obsessed with licking the batter from the spoon. These Sunday dinners consisted of more than a great meal; they created lasted memories that I hope to recreate with my family in the Chicago area.

We keep in mind that most others do not have any professional training in the culinary world, so Amateur Kitchen’s cooking style is simple. We also try to keep our dishes quick, easy and on the healthier side. However, we do on occasion share comfort food recipes, and most of these recipes are family traditions.

When writing recipes, Maria and I keep in mind seasonal fruits and vegetables, which allows for a tastier and more cost efficient recipe.

Maria and I want to make you more knowledgeable about different ingredients, make your evenings a little easier by showing you how to prepare a delicious dinner and inspire you to get in the kitchen with your kids, family and/or friends to create those lasting memories that Maria and I are sharing together. Enjoy our blog!