about

My name is Michelle.  I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in Landscape Architecture last year and am currently living with Ryan, my boyfriend of three and a half years, and our two cats, Haku and Zabu, in San Mateo.

I grew up in a typical Southern California suburb with a surprisingly expansive vegetable garden and orchard in my backyard. Looking back, I wish I appreciated it more as a kid (Especially now that I have a tiny sunless patio, where I can barely keep my plants alive). My family led a somewhat gourmet life. We used our garden to its full potential and had a home-cooked, sit-down meal almost every night of the week. Without knowing it that was probably the most influential thing in my life.

When I moved out of the dorms, I set out to have a fully stocked kitchen. My roommates always made fun of how many dishes I went through to make a single meal. I would call home and tell my parents what I was up to, and my dad always said, “I never ate like that when I was in college.”

I was inspired to create this food blog after following a few food blogs during my senior year. Finally after graduating and being done with the stress of school, I had time to start one.

I named my blog after the Italian proverb, “La cucina piccola fal la casa grande.” which translates to “A small kitchen makes the house big.” I thought this was a fitting title because we are currently living in a small kitchen, but are still able to create delicious meals.

This is my journey through farmer’s markets, seasonal ingredients, cookbooks, family recipes, and my own creations.

email me at michelle.lamiacucinapiccola [at] gmail [dot] com