About

I'm Nicole Spiridakis, a writer, baker, and home cook based in Northern California. You may know me from my gluten-free baking blog, cucinanicolina.com, or my cookbook Flourless: Recipes for Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts (pubbed in 2014 by Chronicle Books).

I've been a recipe developer for the better part of two decades, with articles and recipes published in major media outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR Online, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and allrecipes.com, among others. (You can check out my clips site for my bylines.)

I created this website to share seasonal vegetarian and vegan recipes, comforting morning bakes, and easy and delicious desserts, all written specifically for the home cook. You won't find anything complicated here, just familiar, whole ingredients, a straightforward method, and plenty of veggies!

A Little Background About Me

After a whirlwind few years living overseas in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, we settled in rural Sonoma County, California, in a cozy yellow house tucked among redwood trees and apple orchards. My girls (now 12 and 9) often join me in the kitchen, and everything I share here has been taste-tested and approved by their discerning palates!

I've been a vegetarian for most of my life, and I really love vegetables. From simple stir-fries to vegetable soups, I cram as much produce into every meal as I possibly can. I believe that fresh vegetables prepared simply and well to allow their true flavors and textures to shine through will make a convert of even the most ardent vegetable-hater.

What You'll Find on My Veggie Kitchen

Loads of veg-forward recipes, like vegetarian soufflé, sweet potato soup, maple butternut squash puree, and so many more family favorites. Want to learn how to host the best vegetarian Thanksgiving? Read on ...

You'll also find straightforward baking projects and irresistible desserts, like a quick banana and blackberry bread to an upside-down rhubarb cake.

I lean into nourishing, veg-heavy recipes that follow the seasons. Each summer, you'll find me canning jams and jellies from our backyard apple trees and blackberry bushes to make the most of every last bit. From fruit crisps and crumbles to creamy vegan soups made with loads of vegetables, there is something here for everyone.

All of the recipes are developed, cooked/baked, photographed, and written up by me, with no AI use. I'm old school, and I'm OK with that!

I save the gluten-free recipes for my gluten-free baking site, but occasionally a favorite or two will pop up here (and most of my vegetarian recipes are naturally gluten-free, go figure). I love using whole-grain flour and simple ingredients, and I hope you do, too.

Cookbook

My cookbook, Flourless: Recipes for Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts, was published by Chronicle Books in 2014. It's chock-full of, you guessed it, gluten-free recipes that rely on nuts, eggs, and other naturally gluten-free ingredients instead of flour. It's still available if you want to take a peek!

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