At Nourish & Gather, we believe the table isn’t just where we eat — it’s where we connect. And sometimes, that connection extends far beyond the table itself. When FinaMill  invited me to create a recipe for their Sunday Supper  series in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer , I said yes immediately. Their mission to bring people together through food aligned perfectly with my own: to use flavor, creativity, and conversation to foster connection. These Chocolate Rye Cookies  w

The heady scent of herbs filled the air as I ran my fingers through their fragrant leaves.  Look closely – see the oregano bravely...

The Family Table Reset launched this week. In our first session, I heard versions of these from every parent: My kid won't eat anything I make. They say they're not hungry, then ask for snacks an hour later. I'm making three different dinners for three different kids. Should I give them food before bed if they refuse dinner? I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. And then someone said it out loud: "I thought it was just me and my kids.”

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, was quoted in a Martha Stewart article on how to properly clean and care for wooden spoons. Boiling wooden spoons doesn’t remove hidden grime—it causes natural tannins and oils to leach out while weakening the wood. Long soaks and extreme heat damage wood by swelling and drying it unevenly, making spoons more likely to crack and split. Gentle washing, quick drying, and occasional oiling

This dish is about abundance, brightness, and nourishment. It’s earthy, herb-forward, a little tangy, a little sweet, and absolutely gorgeous on the table.

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, was featured in NS Lifestyles for her Chocolate Rye Cookie, proclaimed the official cookie of Rye, NY, created to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research through Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Something extra sweet is coming to Wainwright House’s Gingerbread Showcase — and it’s more than just the icing on the gingerbread! At the Opening Celebration on Saturday, November 29 at

Melanie Underwood of Nourish and Gather shares her gluten-free New York Style Cheesecake recipe from "Making Artisan Cheesecake" on Only Taste Matters, demonstrating how to adapt classic cheesecake with an almond-based crust for easy customization. Ingredients For the Ground Almond Crust: 2 cups (190 g) finely ground almonds or other nut 2 tablespoons (26 g) granulated or brown sugar 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted or coconut oil For the New York Style Cheesecake

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, appeared as a guest on the Energy of the Untamed Heart podcast to discuss how food can foster connection and community. With over 28 years as a culinary educator and certified mindfulness teacher, Melanie is able to create welcoming spaces where her students can discover the joy of cooking while cultivating mindfulness, kindness and connection. Just like the 5c’s of a diamond, Melanie br

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, was featured on The Epic Kate podcast discussing her approach to mindful cooking. Melanie Underwood is a lovely, magical lady who has a passion for mindfulness and cooking- being present, having a unique and love filled dance of the senses in the preparation of food. I loved her perspective of having a relationship of celebration and enjoyment about eating, she doesn't talk restrictions

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, was a guest on the Below the Surface at The NoW podcast discussing mindfulness, presence, and how those principles show up in her cooking and teaching. Melanie's approach to life is refreshing and an important reminder for us all.  As a culinary educator for the past 26 years, Melanie brings a mindfulness to all she does in life, including cooking. It was her mother that taught Melanie a

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, was featured in The Cheese Professor blog discussing her bleu cheese cheesecake. Bleu d’Auvergne is a blue-veined French cheese hailing from the region that bears its name in the south-western corner of the country. It is made from cow’s milk and was developed in the 1850s by the French cheesemaker Antoine Roussel. The strong, pungent cheese has less of a salty bite than other blues, wit

Melanie Underwood, founder of Nourish and Gather and author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, was quoted in NBC News Travel discussing cupcakes in New York City. This city is crazy for cupcakes. There are cupcake classes and cupcake tours, lines down the block at cupcake bakeries, a cupcake tea at a five-star hotel, and a cupcake truck with 6,000 followers on Twitter. Some date the cupcake craze to a "Sex and the City" episode in which Sarah Jessica Parker bit into a pink-frosted

A student in my class was trying to recreate her grandmother's perfect chicken soup, and I could see the anxiety building with every stir. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've seen how perfectionism shows up in the kitchen again and again.  I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Perfectionism in the kitchen doesn't just affect the food - it robs us of the joy and connection that cooking is meant to create. In a recent

"I only eat organic." "Dairy is inflammatory." "That's not clean eating." Food conversations have become minefields of judgment. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've watched food become increasingly loaded with moral judgment.  I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Have you ever felt judged for what's on your plate or your beliefs around food and eating? Or maybe you've  been the one casting the side-eye. Food can be

When do we teach kids that their voice matters? Not just in big moments, but in everyday decisions about what they eat and how they show up? After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that the kitchen is where kids practice finding their voice.  I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox Using your voice isn't about being loud - it's about standing up for what matters, and the kitchen is where kids can practice this skil

Every garden has a season. Every recipe has a moment when you need to let go and trust the process. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've watched people struggle with knowing when to hold on and when to let go.  I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Cooking mirrors life's natural cycles - teaching us when to hold on, when to let go, and how to make space for what's next. In cooking, we are intimately familiar with the

In our fast-paced world, where do you go to find calm? For many of my students, it's not a meditation cushion - it's the kitchen. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've seen how the kitchen becomes a refuge from chaos.  I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. The kitchen can be a sacred space where we cultivate calm, presence, and connection in the midst of chaos. In today’s fast-paced world, calm can feel like something

There's something about watching stock simmer - the slow, quiet transformation that can't be rushed. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that the best lessons come from the slowest processes.  I send stories like this twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Making stock is a metaphor for growth: transformation happens slowly, in its own time, and forcing the process only diminishes the result. As I stand in my kitchen watching a pot o

Oil and water don't mix - unless you add an emulsifier. The same is true for people with different perspectives. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've seen how cooking teaches us about bringing different elements together.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Conversation acts as the emulsifier in our relationships, bringing together different elements to create something greater than the sum of its parts. You’ve p

One year after my father's death, I'm learning that grief and gratitude aren't opposites - they're dance partners. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that the most meaningful flavors - and moments - hold both bitter and sweet.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Life's most meaningful moments are often bittersweet, holding both joy and sorrow, and it's in embracing both that we find depth. Life, much li