About the Site
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The name Claudina's Kitchen was inspired by my mother, who calls me "Claudina". Although cooking is not her favorite thing, she is a wonderful entertainer and hostess and taught me that if you bring together good food and interesting people, your gathering will almost always be a success. As a German immigrant and Pan Am flight attendant during the “heyday” of international travel, she introduced me to foods and food cultures from around the world -- as a child some of my favorite food memories were regular visits to my mother's favorite Paris restaurants for escargots and mousse au chocolat, two weeks of eating naan and daal in New Delhi, and for the holidays having her bring home Scottish smoked salmon from the UK and my favorite Bahlsen cookies from Germany.
I am a trained chef with experience in food & nutrition media, culinary instruction, and catering. My love of cooking -- and healthy eating – also resonates at home everyday. As the mother of three young children, I'm constantly thinking about the best ways to help establish a healthy eating and lifestyle foundation for them. I'm challenged by keeping up with the ever-changing nutrition news, avoiding the confusion of food marketing messages (and teaching my kids to think critically beyond these messages). But always keeping in mind the goal of creating food that tastes great for my family, friends, and customers.
My themes are focused on slow, seasonal, local, delicious and healthy foods. We are lucky to live in the city of San Francisco, surrounded by some of the best local produce options (and longest seasons) in the country, along with a city that votes with its pocketbook for environmentally-friendly food choices -- providing us
with among the best selections in the country of organic and sustainable foods. I find it a pleasure to discover and celebrate these foods as they are available -- for optimal flavor and enjoyment as well as optimal well-being.
I hope to share a wonderful food experience with you, through this site or directly!
Claudine Ryan
Executive Chef, Claudina's Kitchen
