About Me

Welcome to Kitchen Fiddler!  I’m Louise, a professional violinist in New York City as well as a passionate home cook and occasional chocolatier in between gigs.  I started my Kitchen Fiddler blog in 2008 as a way to combine my love for sharing great food and stories with friends. 

My food is all about bold vibrant flavors, infused with life and love.  This is food that will bring you joy, delighting your palate in unexpected happy ways.  You will want to make these dishes repeatedly, especially because preparing many of them won’t make too many demands on your time.  You will find many recipes that emphasize seasonal fresh produce, thereby justifying all the decadent desserts also on this site!

Food and music have been the twin passions throughout my life. I began playing the violin when I was 3 years old, and I started helping my mom in the kitchen shortly after that. It's nearly impossible for me to separate these two lifelong enthusiasms, as I can hardly remember a time where the violin wasn't part of my life or that the kitchen wasn't my favorite room in the house. These dual passions have threaded my three+ decades on the planet, coming together most harmoniously in my life as a violinist in New York City, a place where the musical and culinary possibilities are endless!   I get to do some extremely cool things as a musician, between performing with inspiring artists and occasional touring, stories about which are sprinkled throughout this blog.  It is a rich existence, peppered with a variety of great musical experiences made all the richer by my most beloved colorful circle friends who are all carving out a similar creative niche for themselves.  

Over the years I’ve noticed that great food and great music seem to go hand-in-hand, as many of my musician friends are also enthusiastic and talented cooks.  Maybe it’s because cooking provides a different outlet for creativity, one that is less pressured than performing on stage.  Or perhaps it’s that we all love the post-concert celebration, which often involves festive meals and much merriment. Whether it is a feast that we’ve prepared for each other or an exploration of favorite restaurants in town, I think my friends and I would all agree that music and food (especially great music-making and glorious food) go very well together.

I’ve been fiddling around in the kitchen ever since I was little.  My mom hosted monthly piano recitals at our house for all of her many students, and she always baked up a storm so that the kids could have a little party after their concerts. When I was six years old, I remember marching into the kitchen during one of her pre-recital baking flurries, announcing that I NEEDED to learn how to cook and that I was going to help her get ready for her party the next day. (I was a very determined little kid who knew her own mind!) Endlessly patient with me, she always pulled up a chair for me next to her at the counter, letting me measure ingredients and stir endless bowls of cookie batter with her as we prepared for these post-concert parties, and I loved being in the kitchen with her.  To this day, she is still one of my favorite people to cook with and we have an easy rhythm in her kitchen together.

As for my own kitchen, it is small with woefully inadequate cabinets and counter space, which isn’t unusual by Manhattan kitchen standards.  However, my sun-drenched apartment is so well located and boasts a killer view that I can’t justify moving yet. Despite the limitations of my kitchen, I still manage to operate a thriving chocolate truffle business around the holidays.  When there’s a will, there is a way!

I love hearing from readers, especially if you’ve enjoyed recipes here on this site.  Please feel free to leave a comment, or if you’re feeling shy about leaving one publicly, you can always email me at kitchenfiddler (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Thanks for visiting!