I've always been the quiet one. In school, at family gatherings, in the kitchen—I just prefer to listen, observe, and then create. My grandmother used to say: "The best cooks don't need to be loud. Their food speaks for them." I live by that.
Growing up, I watched my grandmother and mother work magic with spices. They could take the simplest ingredients—potatoes, carrots, lentils—and transform them into something extraordinary. Not through complicated techniques, but through understanding spices. Knowing which ones bloom in oil, which ones need heat, which ones should be added at the end.
When I moved to America for college, I was homesick. Really homesick. The food here was so... different. Everything was either very sweet or very bland. No layers. No complexity. And then came my first Thanksgiving.
My First Thanksgiving (And The Sweet Potato Revolution) 🍠
My roommate invited me to her family's Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted to contribute, so I offered to make sweet potato casserole. She gave me her family's recipe: sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, marshmallows on top. I looked at this recipe and thought: "Where are the spices?"
I couldn't help myself. I added cinnamon, nutmeg, a tiny bit of cardamom, a hint of cayenne for warmth. I roasted the sweet potatoes first to bring out their natural sweetness. I skipped the marshmallows—sorry, but no. Instead, I made a pecan topping with brown sugar and butter.
When I brought it to dinner, I was nervous. I'm naturally shy, and now I'd messed with an American tradition? But then people started eating. The room went quiet. Someone said, "What IS this?" Not in a bad way—in a "this is incredible" way.
The dish that changed everything: sweet potatoes with soul
That casserole dish was EMPTY by the end of the night. People asked for the recipe. My roommate's mom said it was the best sweet potato casserole she'd ever had. And that's when I realized: American food doesn't reject spices. It's just been waiting for them.
Finding My Voice (Through Food) 🎯
After that Thanksgiving, I started experimenting more. Not just with sweet potatoes, but with all kinds of casseroles. Green bean casserole with crispy shallots and smoked paprika. Corn casserole with cumin and fresh chilies. Stuffing with za'atar and sumac.
I never changed the dishes completely—I respected the traditions. I just... enhanced them. Added depth. Made them more interesting. And people responded. Even the ones who were skeptical at first.
When Hervé started Easy Casserole, he found me through a friend of a friend. He tasted my sweet potato casserole and said, "This is it. This is what we need." I joined the team alongside Sarah (who taught me how to keep dishes healthy without losing flavor), Jessica (butter is important—she's right about that), Alexandra (dessert spices are their own beautiful world), and Arlo (vegetables deserve respect and spices).
The Philosophy 🌶️
Here's what I believe: Spices aren't just seasoning. They're storytelling. Every spice has a history, a purpose, a voice. When you understand them—really understand them—you can transform any dish.
And Thanksgiving? It's the perfect canvas. These are dishes designed to feed a crowd, to be made ahead, to sit in a casserole dish and develop flavor. They WANT spices. They're practically begging for them.
I might be quiet in person, but my casseroles? They speak volumes. And I hope they inspire you to be brave with spices too. Trust them. Respect them. Let them transform your cooking.