The Kitchen Whisperer® is where you are greeted with open arms, a warm smile, and a plate of delicious food all the while learning how to create mouth-watering, crowd-pleasing dishes. The recipes are relatable and geared towards home cooks and those that are new to the kitchen. The Kitchen Whisperer inspires people to overcome their cooking and baking fears by taming the kitchen one bite at a time!
Get to know The Kitchen Whisperer®
Hi! I’m Lori Monte, aka The Kitchen Whisperer. I’m the creative force behind a food blog that feels like home, where everyone is treated like ‘family.’ With over 35 years of experience as a pro chef, pit master, and certified pizzaiola, I bring you delicious, easy-to-follow recipes anyone can whip up and enjoy. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a beginner, she’s here to make your kitchen adventures fun and flavorful!
As an Engineer, my recipes follow a Gold Standard Recipe Development Process to allow for Repeatable Quality.
What does this mean? I test each recipe 5-10 times BEFORE posting it. If you make the recipe exactly as listed, you will have recreated a masterful, delicious dish!
Growing up as poor as I did, I learned to develop delicious recipes that are easy on a budget, approachable by all, and satisfying to the palate. Being in the kitchen should be fun and delicious where not only amazing food is created but also where memories are made.
I’m truly lucky. I have an amazing job that I love as an Engineer and the most incredible husband (Mr. Fantabulous) who encourages me to follow my dreams and passion for cooking and baking. He truly is my split-apart.
Growing up, we barely had much financially—a big family on a less-than-small income. Times were hard, but we made do. In those hard times, I learned the ins and outs of the kitchen—not to fear it but rather embrace it. There were no microwaves, instant this, or “just add water” mixes.
My mother, father, and grandmother taught me how to bake, cook, and think about what I’m making. They taught me to respect the ingredients and be patient. They taught me that you shouldn’t always rely solely on taste but concentrate on the smells, sounds, and sights. They taught me to cook visually and to use all of my senses.
As I grew up, I started to look at recipes and cooking from an analytical, engineering standpoint. It makes sense to me when I’m there whipping up a cake or making bread. Just like doing a calculus problem, writing an application in C++, or building a network, my being in the kitchen just made sense. It fit.
FAQs
♥ Affiliate Links in Posts
Posts may contain Affiliate Links; see my Privacy Policy for further details.
♥ Why don’t you post a recipe for everything you make?
Not every item I make/post on here, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or any other venue will have an accompanying recipe. Those recipes are coveted (family recipes OR part of the TKW Signatures Line). I sell those items since I am a licensed business. The money earned is then put towards my opening a bistro. Put… if I gave you every recipe, why would you patronize my place if you can make it yourself?
♥ Can you provide the nutritional information for each recipe?
I cannot do that as I’m not a dietician or nutritionist. I leave that to the professionals. There are a ton of free online sites where you can plug in the ingredients and amounts to calculate this data. I do use a paid nutritional plugin to help approximate the nutritional value. I input the recipe information, and it calculates the data for me. If you’re unsure, contact a licensed nutritionist to help calculate it more accurately.
♥ Do you accept guest posts?
Nope. I do not accept guest posts. I am the only author on my blog. The Kitchen Whisperer is about being genuine and real. You get me, Lori, 100%. So no, don’t even bother asking.
♥ What’s with you and this pig obsession? I mean, you eat bacon, after all!
I ♥ pigs. Yes, I eat bacon, but in my mind, bacon is only made from ugly pigs—let it go.
♥ What are your goals/dreams? How will you take The Kitchen Whisperer to the next level?
I will open a bistro someday that offers small-session cooking classes with family-style meals. I will also publish my own cookbook and sell it in stores and online.
♥ A Chef and an Engineer? For real?
Yep, I’m a computer and software engineer and a chef. I’m a geek/nerd and am easily content writing a software application, reading Calculus books for fun (yes, on purpose), or having ‘geek speak’ at work. Coding and Calculus make me think and allow me to use the analytical side of my brain. Cooking/Baking is where I unwind and let the passionate, artistic side of me come out.
♥ Favorite food?
Seriously, pizza. It’s like the perfect food. It can be sweet or savory, for breakfast, dinner, dessert, or snacks. Pizza never disappoints. And bacon… god, I love crispy bacon!
♥ What are you like in person?
With me, what you see is what you get. How I talk on social media is how I am in real life. Why pretend, you know? Simply put, I’m just me, just Lori.
I WILL always be straightforward with you and say it like it is. I WILL always treat you as I like to be: respectful, honest, and genuine. I don’t get into stupid humor but will belly laugh with the best of ’em.
I do my very best to be that person that you feel like you’ve known your whole life. Honestly, guys, I’m just me. I’m just Lori.
♥ What’s with calling people TKW Family?
I HATE the terminology of calling you guys my fans or my followers. I find that disrespectful and belittling to you all.
You are family, period. I like to think of this as more than just another food blog or food site on social media. We talk about real life, share thoughts, and discuss what’s going on in our lives. When I write, I share my life with you guys – from surgeries to fears, failures, and successes, and yes, even the embarrassing stuff.
♥ Is there anything you hate?
I hate, no, LOATHE anything that has to do with cherries or cherry flavoring. Clowns scare the living daylights out of me. I have a HORRIFIC fear of them, masks, and porcelain dolls (their damn eyes follow you no matter where you are in the room!). I’m convinced that hell consists of nothing but clowns and cherries.
♥ So then what do you love?
Lots of stuff, to be honest. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Kitchen Porn. I love gadgets, gizmos, spatulas, whisks, cutting boards, and things that are practical and make my life easier in the kitchen! I love, love, LOVE meeting you guys in real life! And ya know, my husband 🙂
♥ Why Mr. Fantabulous? Does he have a real name?
Haha, yes, he has a real name. It’s no secret. I’ve called him that for decades, way before TKW ever existed.
It started as a joke because I was messing around with him and saying he had an ego (he doesn’t). One day, early on Facebook, I was writing about him and referred to him like that, and it just stuck. It’s funny that when I meet one of you guys, and he’s with me, it’s never “Oh hey, you’re Lori!” no, it’s “Hey, so you’re Mr. Fantabulous!” like I’m chopped liver! He gets a kick out of just as the Fantabulous In-Laws does as well. I love my husband more than anything. He is my splitapart. Mr. Fantabulous and the kitchen are where I find solace.
♥ And most importantly:
Because of you all, I’m a better person than the person I was yesterday but less than the person I will be tomorrow.
I Love you guys! Welcome to the TKW Family!
