About Me
Hi, I’m Courtney. I’m a self-proclaimed lover of food and food nerd. I hesitated to put out another “foodie” blog because I don’t identify with the non-inclusive or over-indulgent type where the recipes are only for James Beard winners or stacking 10 burger patties with fried mac and cheese is acceptable just because it looks intense. Not that I’m totally against these things, (I mean I would eat a pancake the size of my head) but know the practicality of being a “foodie in real life”. It’s fun but unsustainable.
By a lover of food, I mean that I’m genuinely happy when in my kitchen cooking or baking and have such fond memories of food and spending time with family. Growing up in a small Midwestern town, my working mom always had a warm meal on the table and my late grandma was my food idol in terms of everything from her kitchen was amazing and seemed effortless. When I was about 10 years old or so, my grandma did loan me her sugar cookie recipe and it won first place at the county fair. And, I can still picture my late grandpa sitting on a stool in their garage frying up some catfish that he caught to pair with the rest of the meals my grandma would throw together. I can’t forget putting on “cooking shows” for my little baby sister where I would serve her tea aka water with Smarties candies floating in it – ha! Such good memories!
In my twenties, with just my husband and me to feed, I would try a new recipe every night! It was a bit much, but fun to me! I would page through copious amounts of cooking magazines and read food blogs religiously. During that time, we also lived in a major agriculture area of sunny California where our food habits and lifestyle really took shape by focusing on fresh, healthy ingredients and keeping our bodies moving throughout the day. Biking to work was our favorite. One of the most memorable eateries was a little café that focused on organic food with their own farm, they even made their own kombucha and almond milk, and this was over a decade ago when it wasn’t a complete trend.
Nowadays, back home in St. Louis with a family of four and a full-time day job, my cookbooks collect dust and my Feedly reader is filling up faster than I can keep up with. You’re more likely to find me trying to sneak in an episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table or The Great British Baking Show while on the elliptical. Since we lead an active lifestyle, I turn to uncomplicated and healthy options (trying to keep it adventurous) when feeding my family and on the weekends we like to explore how exciting the food scene in St. Louis is becoming.
Especially over the past several years, as a Korean-born adoptee, I’ve really taken an interest in exploring Asian culture and food. It sparked for me while living in California as a young adult but exploded as I’ve gotten older. Maybe it’s because I’ve now traveled to different Asian countries or seen more Asian representation in pop culture, and recently all of the conversations I’m hearing about anti-Asian racism which is propelling voices to be heard and stories to be shared. Despite all that’s going on in our world, I’ve never been more proud to be an Asian-American woman. You’ll see my Midwestern upbringing plus health focus reflected in my recipes, and a love of all food (especially Asian) when dining out and traveling.
What I am hoping to bring with Courtney’s Counter is easy and healthy recipes suitable for busy weeknights, reviews of hotel food offerings, and travel experiences focusing on food and family adventure.
