My name is Itaira (I-tear-ah) and Welcome to Itaira Eats!
I’m from New Jersey aka the Garden State. The home of great diners, taylor ham/ pork roll, and the Jersey Shore.
I’ve had passion for many things but the one thing that is consistent is food. I love everything there is to love about food and all aspects of it. Food is something that really just brings everyone together, it’s a joyous thing really.
I am a home cook and not classically trained AT ALL. I didn’t go to school for it and only have taken a cooking class or two just for the fun of it. I learned how to cook by watching family members, television shows, and good ol’ experimenting. Sometimes it goes great and sometimes not so much. I find the process of it the most fun.
I love the food network and the cooking channel because it shows different chefs cooking different types of cuisine. I’m mostly intrigued by cooking competition shows and how it shows how people think on the fly when it comes to different ingredients. It makes me think about what I would try to make if I were in that situation. I get a lot of inspiration from that.
Going out to eat is also another thing I LOVE doing. Even if I should be financially responsible and not spend the extra money on dining out, I will always find some way to make it work. I enjoy everything from a fine dining experience to just going to a little dive because those really have the best food out there. It’s also another time to get inspired and I begin to think “Can I go home and try make this myself?” It’s also a time to discover new ingredients that you wouldn’t typically think of buying when grocery shopping. Opens up a whole new world of food.
My goal is to get more people in the kitchen and inspired to cook more at home. It’s really fun and as an added bonus, it saves A LOT in the money area. It’s also healthier and can be done with family and friends which makes it more rewarding. If you ever cook any of these recipes I'd love to see it. Please tag me on instagram @itairaeats!