goldfinch & scout

In short:
goldfinch & scout is a place for home cooks to find inspiration, encouragement and advice for their own cooking adventures.

In long:
I’m Laura Messersmith, cook, writer, and photographer of goldfinch & scout. When I first started writing about cooking it was mostly to challenge myself by trying new recipes, new techniques, and new ingredients – essentially a cooking school of one where I’d learn through trial and error.

As I shared what I was doing with friends and family I found that many people were in the same boat – a little intimidated by cooking, or feeling stuck in a culinary rut. Ironically, this new focus on cooking began at a time when counter space was at an all-time low: a galley kitchen in Manhattan with barely enough room for dishes let alone food.

I put two and two together and realized that there was a need to make cooking accessible with clearly explained recipes and techniques. And since I don’t want to do any more dishes than necessary I also simplified the equipment to just the essentials. Why use three bowls when one will do?

The backstory:
I like to cook with simple, seasonal ingredients and emphasize flavor over fancy presentation. Perhaps this is obvious, but Ina Garten is my patron saint.

Many of my recipes are intertwined with memories, so you’ll find stories intermingled with the food.

Before goldfinch & scout I spent 10 years working in non-profit fundraising & communications.

I’m fortunate to have a chief taste-tester and encourager in my husband Mike, and a chief company-keeper in our golden retriever, Maddie.

Contact:

Thoughts, questions, comments? Would you like to work together? Send me a note at ljqmessersmith [at] gmail [dot] com – I’d love to hear from you!

Or, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Fine Print

Unless otherwise specified, all content, designs, and photographs, on this site were created by Laura Messersmith for goldfinch & scout.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due and do my best to track down original sources and provide links back both via click-throughs and quote or image credit listings. If you'd like to use photos and content from this site, please link back and reference this blog as your source. Better yet, ask first. Thanks!