Welcome! I’m happy you’re here. You can call me Kate, one of many nicknames, or Kathryne, my full first name. Either way, I’m a self-taught cook from Oklahoma. I started this blog in 2010 and named it after my canine sidekick, Cookie. Now, I live in Kansas City with my husband and young daughter and work on this blog full-time. I love my job!
Follow Cookie and Kate
You should know that I’m totally obsessed with food. I daydream about new recipes. I devour cookbooks (I even wrote my own). I read up on food policy and nutrition. I love photographing food and hope my photos inspire you to step into the kitchen to cook a delicious, healthy meal.
Our cookbook, Love Real Food, is here! It has over 5,000 5-star reviews! Get Your Copy
Above all, I love eating food, especially while in the presence of good company. Good food in good company—does it get any better than that?
I believe that cooking should be fun and recipes, flexible. I choose not to cook meat, so all of the recipes on Cookie and Kate are vegetarian. I believe in eating whole foods, which are as close to their source as possible. I’m also an avid supporter of the occasional indulgence, and I laugh with friends over drinks as often as possible.
This blog is all about celebrating good food—real, sustainable food that delights the senses and nourishes the body.
About Cookie
Cookie is a jaunty spotted mutt who makes friends everywhere she goes. She is my eager four-legged assistant, my chief crumb catcher and the best companion a girl could ask for.
I adopted Cookie in the summer of 2009. She came with her name and nothing more. Whether she was named for being one smart cookie or for looking like cookies and cream, the name suits her well.
After five years of referring to Cookie as a “mystery mutt,” I finally caved and ordered a DNA test. My beloved, one-of-a-kind pup is half schipperke and half dachshund/Australian koolie mix.
Cookie left this world in 2023 after thirteen incredible years together. I miss her dearly, and this website will remain Cookie and Kate in honor of our time together.
Frequently Asked Questions
My cookbook, Love Real Food, can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BAM!, Bookshop.org, and Indigo. Digital editions of the book are available for purchase and download at iBooks and Amazon Kindle. Look for the book in your local bookstore or Barnes u0026 Noble. More book details here.
I use a Nikon Z6 with a Nikkor Z 50mm lens. Check out my food photography tips for more details. As of 2023, I’ve outsourced my photography to my wonderful video team so that I can spend more time with my family.
Check out my top 20 tips for food blogging and how to start a food blog, which includes design and web hosting tips.
Thank you for asking. Please refer to my photo and recipe policy for details.
Get in Touch!
Please contact me here or comment below! You’re also welcome to check out my press page for interviews and other features.
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Through cupcakesandcashmere I came across your blog and we have a black and white Cookie at home too! It’s a different breed though!
Your recipes look fabulous. I have to try the peach & avocado salad/salsa!
P.S. Love the logo!
So glad you found my blog, Nat! I’d love to see a picture of your Cookie. How did you come up with the name for her?
Actually it was the idea of my boyfriend. We are always happy to meet other Cookie’s :-)
Meet our Cookie here: http://www.thepreciousthings.com/?p=570
Your Cookie is adorable! I just love French bulldogs. My best friend has one: https://capital-fly.pro/2010/lighten-up-with-pearl/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I was laughing so much when I read your post about Pearl. How cute she is! Frenchies are great entertainers also when eating a highlighter ;-) Luckily nothing happened to her!
Great daiquiri pics btw!
I just found your blog and love it. I am a vegetarian and have recently been diagnosed with Meneire’s disease. To help control the vertigo I now have a very low sodium diet and your recipes are low sodium to start with and also easily adaptable. Plus they are real food, wholesome looking and easy to fix. Thank you so much!
Dear Kate,
I’m a vegetarian from Sri Lanka.I love you recipes.
Thank you for the new Ideas .
Love
Koushi
Your blog is absolutely beautiful! I will definitely be checking back in.
Somehow, in all my time spent admiring your blog, I’ve missed that you’re an Oklahoma girl like me! I live in Arizona now, but you know the saying–“You can take the girl out of Oklahoma, but you can’t take the Oklahoma out of the girl.” My family is from Oklahoma City and Kingfisher and part of my heart will always be there.
Always a delight to hear from a fellow Oklahoman! I grew up in the OKC area but my family is from Woodward—we always drive through Kingfisher on the way there.
Just found your blog – and am tempted to try many of your recipes! Great photos by the way. Keep up the good work.
Have I told you I have a crush on your blog? Well I do. Love it. PS. Please don’t tell my husband.
Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me! ;)
Your blog makes my day brighter. You seem like such a delightful person. Well done.
Great job!! You’re just a tad North of me. Texas girl here. Great blog. Will be checking from time to time to get more inspiration. I know nothing! :-) LOL The more blogs I see, the more I see greatness. I love it. :-)
Chickpea, Kale and carrot, and Squash Soup.
I didn’t have Thai spice for the soup but used the basic recipe and Kitchen Basics chicken soup stock. It was flavorful (not spicy) and done in an hour from start to finish.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Kate! Just got married three months ago. Has been a full time wife since then. Just couple of weeks ago I realized I am becoming obsessed! Yeah, obsessed of trying brand new things at our home sweet home and feeding my husband with lots of healthier foodies. And today is the day that I am soooooo happy (Yippeee!) because I found your cookieandkate.com. Well, I told my husband (via phone) when he was on his business trip in Washington State, we must try to eliminate all the meat in our meal. Well, since he came from the state where the real beef is (Kansas!), he asked me to do it bit by bit. ^_^ Am not so sure if he notices that we did not have meat since he got back from Washington State two weeks ago. Yey! A good start for us. And so I keep looking and looking for recipes that he and I would love. All your recipes made my day! Definitely, I am going to try all of them. :-) I hope you will keep posting new and yummy recipes that – US – turned vegan would love and love. More power!
From: Corvallis Couple L(*__^)/
Hi Ela, thanks for your sweet comment! I’m glad you and your husband are enjoying my vegetarian recipes. More veggies and less meat is the way to go!
I just read YOUR ENTIRE BLOG. And Pinned nearly half of it! Lovely. Inspiring. Can’t wait to start trying out the recipes!
Thanks Melissa! Please let me know what you think of the recipes!
How to you read someone’s ENTIRE BLOG?!?!
Your blog is awesome! I love to cook, and it’s so great to find someone who cooks the same way I do! Cheers to celebrating whole foods and deliciousness. :)
Your recipes are great! Just made the banana-oatmeal pancakes, they taste just like banana bread! Thank-you . You have made going wheat free a little easier.
Thank you, Linda! I’ll keep an eye out for simple, wheat-free recipes to share for you. :)
I have to say I am so thankful to have found your blog!
I consider it a real treat to read over your posts and try the various creations you have posted. (The vanilla bean ice-cream was to die for, Oh and I have to mention the roasted tofu & quinoa! yum yum!)
Thank you for your amazing work!
Love, Kylie x
Thank you, Kylie! I really love hearing from readers who find time to cook my recipes, and I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I simply stumbled upon your blog one day, and what a find. I began taking note of recipes I wanted to try. The list became to long and I had to stop and instead bookmark your blog. All the recipes look really tasty can’t wait to try them out
Hi Kate:
What a gorgeous site! Was just looking for a recipe for breakfast quinoa and found you! Well done. Will visit often. If you are at all interested in mindfulness or meditation, check out my website: mindfulhub.com. Maybe you’d like to do a short guest blog on the importance of eating whole foods and the effect this has on mental/emotional well-being?
off to make some quinoa….. cheers!
Donna
I just found your blog, and I am loving your recipes. Healthy, simple, and delicious. Thanks for sharing them!
Thank you, Hope! I hope you visit again soon. :)
You are so pretty! I’ve never looked at your photo before, even though I do stalk you regularly (only via internet).
Love your blog!
we’re from Oklahoma too (though now in Boston Brookyln and Portland Oregon!). Lovely blog.
Hi I have just found your blog! I love cooking to! I am only 11 and want my own show, cookbook and blog. Your blog has inspired me and will help me along my journey! Such a cute dog!!!
Love your recipes!! ;) I can’t wait to try the tortilla pizza!! ;)
Hi Kate,
I linked to your blog from Houzz.com and am impressed. You’ve got great style. I was interested to read your tips on cooking in a small kitchen, and now that I’ve seen your kitchen, mine seems huge! So I guess you solved my problem. :-)
Also, I think Cookie is also part blue heeler! Gotta go now and try out those carrot pancakes.
Take care.
Thanks for commenting, Robin! Glad you found my blog. Cookie is my mystery mutt, she must be either party blue heeler or Australian shepherd to have her coloring, I think! She’s a smart little one.
Hi Kate,
Stumbled across your lovely blog while researching photos for a non-profit group I am designing a booklet for. They, CCAS, are a professional organization for college deans of arts and sciences. Their annual meeting is this fall and I am working on the program for the event. I like to splice in pictures of the host city and, of course, have very little money to work with.
I am very interested in your photos labelled: pike_place_market and seattle_space_needle. Obviously I would credit you and/or the blog if you allowed me to use the images.
We print about 700 programs for the members attending.
Of course, I’m on deadline.
Either way, please let me say that your photographs are gorgeous. I’m a designer who has been editing images for 20 years so I know what I’m talking about.
Best, Jean
Hi! I found your awesome blog while looking for a simple pecan butter recipe — I’m sharing your site with my friends at facebook and with your permission, promoting your site through my husband’s blog by posting your pecan butter recipe and of course a link back to you. Thanks for the wonderful job you are doing here. Keep up the good work!
Just wondering…. do you ever call your dog Little Cooks? We adopted our Cookie 2 years ago and her name has morphed into that. We always wonder if anyone else calls their “Cookies” by such silly pet names.
Loved the mint ice cream!!!! Little Cooks agrees! Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Little Cooks, that’s so cute! I call Cookie by her full name and a million nick-names, but several friends call her Cooks!
My Mochachinno (named for her cream color belly and brown coat, when she rolled over she looked like a starbucks drunk with fur) would have appreciated your recipes! Mocha enjoyed being in the kitchen more than anywhere else, and after her passing I’ve been doing a lot more cooking and getting into healthier eating, your blog is my new happy place.
Thank you, Mattie. I’m glad my blog is your happy place. :)
You are my blogger hero right now, I love everything about this page! *gah* why cant I be this fabulous!! :)
I’m blushing! Thank you, Jay.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your delicious recipes! You have inspired me to take a greater interest in where my food comes from and the impact it has.
Thank you, Sarah, I am really glad to hear it!
Great blog! I found a lot of recipes I want to try out.
Your little helper is adorable!
I have 2 helpers, one sausage dog and one furry scottish terrier. :)
Thank you, Federica. I bet your helpers are awfully cute!
Great blog, Kate! You seem like a really nice person!
I am so happy I discovered this blog! (thanks to David Lebovitz)
I feel like your “About” section words were taken straight from my mouth. I back you up 100% and look forward to many more entries.
Maybe sometime in the future we will be able to cross paths!
Thank you, Vanessa! I actually didn’t know that David was linking over (!!!), so thanks for letting me know. Hope you’ll stay in touch!
Hi Kate! I look at your website at least once a day, I love it! I am cooking/baking my way through all of your recipes. I haven’t been disappointed yet! Thanks for sharing your passion for food and for your baby dog.
Thank you, Emily. Your comment really brightened my day! Happy cooking.
Love your blog. I have shared it with friends and family that are making a transitions to eating less animal products. I have tried many of the recipes and have not been disappointed. The quinoa and barley salads rock, smoothies all look great. The grain salad recipes are especially easy for a single guy with a small kitchen. Now that I have tried many of them find they serve as a good point of reference for me to get a little creative with some base ingredients and produce. Thank you. Keep cooking please!
Luis
NYC.
Thank you, Luis! Your comment really brightened my day, glad to be a source of inspiration. Thank you for sharing my blog with your friends, too.
Hello, a friend forwarded the Butternut Squash Chipotle Chile recipe which I’m making today. Looking forward to the final result. Is there any calorie information / estimate on calories for your recipes? It would be most helpful for my food diary.
I’m sorry, Jeanne, I don’t offer nutrition information at this time. If I find an easy way to implement it, I might in the future. Sometimes people will calculate the information and paste it in the comments section.
Hi Kate,
A friend who is a vegetarian passed your blog on to me. So far I have cooked five recipes from your collection and have already picked out two more to make on Sunday! Although I am not a vegetarian I am using your recipes to incorporate more vegetables into my meal planning. So far I have tried butternut squash and brussel sprouts for the first time using your recipes! It’s inspiring me to be more adventurous. Your photographs are beautiful and I have not been dissapointed by a recipe yet. I enjoy your blog and I hope you keep up the great work! I am doing my best to tell everyone I know!
Kristin
Thank you so much, Kristin. Comments like yours make my work worthwhile. I’m happy you’re enjoying butternut and brussels sprouts now. I’ll have more recipes for those ingredients coming as the weather cools. Thank you for spreading the word about my blog! It is much appreciated.
Hi Kate, my first time on your site… I don’t speak very well english but I want compliment for your recipes and your site.
I’m a Italian food blogger and nice to meet you.
Bye
Laura
Thank you, Laura. Nice to meet you!
Hi Kate,
Compliments for such delicious recipes! I am sure you could create wonders with what you would find as fresh vegetables and spices here in Istanbul and throughout Turkey .I have a Turkish culinary experiences company based in Istanbul, please check my website for more info.I will be glad to accompany you everywhere if you ever you decide to travel to Istanbul and Turkey. By the way we also have a foodie Jack Russel Terrier called Yoyo that enjoys all kinds of food we eat!
Thank you, Selin! I would love to visit Turkey someday. I bet Yoyo is super cute!
Love your blog! I actually stumbled upon it recently while looking for a tortilla pizza recipe a couple days ago and a millet one today, where I had more time to poke around…and can I just say….your blog is stunning and drool worthy on so many levels. Your photos and writing style are captivating; which moved me to subscribe to stay connected. By the way, I love how you sandwiched part of your ‘about me’ post in between that adorable photo of you and your pooch…brilliant! Looking forward to making that intriguing Butternut Squash Chipotle Chile and other recipes that caught my eye. I’m on my way to make your Simple Greek Avocado Sandwich recipe…what’s not to love in there…avocado, pesto, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives…yum! Fantastic job all the same…keep it up!
Allana, thank you so much for your kind words. You have no idea how much they are appreciated! Please do let me know how those recipes turn out. xo.
Hi Kate
Just found your blog thought interesting. My name is Kate Cooke my husbands nickname is cookie or at least used to be. I am mostly vegetarian and also a photographer living in NZ. Anyway just wanted to say hi, one K8 Cooke to another. :o)
LOVE your site. I’ve been unable to get that pic of Brusssels sprouts and cranberries out of my mind. (The foodie photographer thing really does work!). I finally found it, along with your site. Three cheers for fresh, whole and raw. I know that I have always felt better/healthier when I eat this way. My mother was a bit af a grain nut (pun intended?) so I guess I come by it naturally. For years I have enjoyed playing around with grains and veggies – great for cold salads raw or lightly cooked for hot foods. Dogs? Not me. I don’t have a dog. Nobody can figure out why I have four of them under my roof. You go girl!
Thanks, Nancy!
Hi Kate! I see you live in KC, welcome to Missouri, I live in Columbia. Hope you and Cookie are enjoying it. Your site made me love collard greens, so fun to cut up :)
Thanks, Andrea! I am enjoying Missouri so far. I must say, I was bracing for a much colder winter, but I’m enjoying this warm weather. Glad to hear that you’re enjoying collard greens now.
Hello Kate,
I found your blog yesterday in search of an oat pancake recipe. This morning I made the banana oat pancakes and loved them. I decided to change my diet to whole food and you are very inspiring. Thank you for this great blog.
Kate
from London
Fellow Kate, I’m so glad you found my blog! Please let me turn out how my other recipes turn out for you.
I am so glad I came across your blog! I can definitely appreciate being a self-taught photographer. I’m definitely adding it to the list of daily reads!
Thank you!
Hi Kate! I just came across your site today by way of ChickyPea and just love it. Can’t wait to test out your recipes, starting with the west african peanut soup! They all look wonderful! And it looks like we have something in common by way of assistants :) Cookie meet Turtle… http://letlooselittell.com/2013/02/24/homemade-peanut-butter-and-banana-dog-treats/
Thanks for commenting, Andrea! Turtle looks so sweet. Cookie is always at my feet, too—not sure if I’ve dusted her with flour yet, but I’ve definitely drizzle some honey on her on accident! That’s not easy to get out of fur, by the way. I bet she’d love those homemade dog treats of yours.
I just found your site and I am so disappointed that it has taken me this long! LOVE! And you’re a dog lover, so your page is at the top of my list now! :) We have three crumb catchers that we affectionately refer to as Dyson, Kirby and Dustbuster (the little one). They have real names, but since they spend most of their time vacuuming the floor…
Glad you found my blog, Brandy! Dyson, Kirby and Dustbuster… love it. Cookie is quite the enthusiastic vacuumer herself!
Hi there! I just found your blog through zip list and I’m so glad I did. Your recipes look wonderful, and I look forward to reading more! I’ll be subscribing :)
Thank you, Meredith! I’m glad you found my blog and please let me know how the recipes turn out for you.
Just came across your site. Love it! I am new to blogging and love your recipes, photos and tips! Thanks!
Hi Kate! I recently learned about your blog and have quickly become enamored with your recipes and photos! As someone who has been a vegetarian for 15+ years and loves delicious and beautiful foods, I am in heaven when reading your blog. Thank you!
One thing I’ve noticed about gorgeous and successful blogs, like yours, is that readers’ comments often focus on how beautiful the food looks and how excited folks are to try the recipes (which is awesome, more power to you for inspiring people to cook!). The down-side is that I often find that I often have to scroll through lots of general comments to find reviews from folks who have actually tried the recipe and have feedback and/or suggestions for improvement. When it comes to online recipes, I think this type of reader comment is just as valuable as the recipes themselves. I don’t know if it is possible or desirable for you, but I wonder if there is a way to separate out comments for recipes – general comments vs those who have made the recipes and are providing feedback/suggestions for modifications for other readers? Just an idea! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with the world — keep up the great work.
Hey Jennifer, thank you for your note! I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Great point on the comment front. I’m not sure if I can devise or afford a solution, but I have found a guy to help me with another commenting issue and I’ll ask him for his advice. Hope we can come up with a solution, because I certainly appreciate the issue.
Thanks, Kate. :)
I have to say that I loooove your blog! I’ve already tried a few of your recipes and they were absolutely perfect. I do have a completely un-food-related question for you though, have you ever thought about writing a post about having a dog? As a single 20-something myself, I’ve often thought about getting one, but I worry about training and taking care of it when I work full-time. How do you deal?
Hi Nikki! Great suggestion. I will try to write about Cookie/dog ownership soon. I’m really lucky because I work from home, so I get to spend lots of time with Cookie. When I worked full-time and commuted 45 minutes each way, my exboyfriend and neighbor across the street helped take her out during the day. I got her when she was a year old and already potty trained, so that was easy. To be honest, taking care of a dog as a working single person is really hard and can be guilt ridden. I’m glad you’re taking it seriously.
Dear Kate…. I dont have a website yet because Im trying to figure all this out. Not sure how to start blogging yet and your help was greatly appreciated!! Im afraid to spend the money without knowing what I am doing!! It would be nice to bring in some money to go along with all the recipe’s. I am in my 40’s and believe it would be nice to share all that Ive learned when it comes to cooking over the years. I love to cook, bake as well as share so the money would be a great blessing. Thank you so much for your advice and I will let you know when I am up and running. Thanks, Jeanne
Jeanne, thank you for your message. Starting a food blog is definitely an investment of time and money. I didn’t try to make money on my blog until after I had been blogging for two years. Do let me know when yours is up and running!