About
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”
~ Ruth Reichel
Alder Spirit
Alder Spirit is a celebration of flavors, textures, beautiful photography, and the community around food. Whether you’re looking for something quick and tasty to whip up for dinner or something a little extra special, I’ve got you covered.
A lot of my recipes have a strong focus on nourishing the body, with minimal to no use of refined products and oils. I firmly believe you can look good and feel good without having to ditch your tasty food favorites. After all, what is life without good, good food?
Get to know me
Hi there! I’m Nicole, a plant-based chef and long time vegan born and raised in the beautiful Portland, Oregon. I’m a proud mama to two beautiful girls that take their job as “recipe tester” very seriously. I’ve always loved cooking and creation, but love even more the ability to share my passions with the world.
I spend most of my time cooking, writing, or hanging out with my family. I’m definetly no pro, but I manage to wake myself up early every morning before anyone else so I can practice yoga in (somewhat) secret. It’s amazing quiet me time that I cherish so, so much.
I always tell my sister, “If I had nothing but free time, I’d move to the country, buy some land, grow my own food, run around in nature, and swing in a rocking chair on my wraparound, crocheting and knitting ’till my fingers fall off.” I seriously love working with yarn so, so much; especially crochet. I’d also love to travel the world and experience all of the diversity it has to offer. All of the flavors, aromas, sensations and experiences.
Before I became a mom and workaholic (honestly), I played a good variety of musical instruments. I’m mostly known for playing the bass, but I also played clarinet in my high school’s band, and can find my way around a bunch of other instruments pretty well. I still know how to play. At this point, I don’t think it’s something I can ever unlearn. But unfortuneately, time is not something I have a lot of any more. It is always refreshing though when I do take a moment to breathe and make some music again.
Starting my culinary journey
I started my first food service job back when I was just a freshman in high school. I remember going in. My first interview. It was for a barista position and I was nervous as heck because I knew absolutely nothing about coffee. I didn’t know a latte from a cappuccino. Americano? What’s that? I found myself here because little me just couldn’t wait to burst on to the working scene and get my very first job. This coffee spot was the only company in the area that would hire someone under 18, so there I was. And to my surprise, I was offered the job on the spot.
I worked as a barista for about two years and fell completely in love with coffee and coffee shops. I was addicted to good coffee, something that just two years earlier I didn’t even care existed. All of a sudden, I knew my dark roasts from my light ones, good foam from bad, and practiced all the latte art I could during my shift. It was a lot of fun for a first job, and I was so happy I walked into that coffee shop completely unqualified and nervous all those years ago.
Once I was 18, I was ready for a restaurant. It was my dream, something I’d longed to do. I was already accepted into the Culinary Institute of America in New York, but I felt I needed to at least work in a restaurant before I moved across the country to follow an industry I’d never had a real taste of. I said goodbye to the barista job I loved, and got my first restaurant job working as a hostess for the P.F. Changs near my house.
It wasn’t long before everyone at the restaurant knew about my love for cooking. I love to talk, and boy could I go on about food. Word even got around to the chefs in the back, and eventually they started coming to talk to me about moving to the back to work with them. Finally!
I couldn’t believe I was being offered an opportunity to cook for an actual restaurant. Despite having no experience and no degree to back it up, they trusted I would learn quickly, and transferred me into the kitchen. (I guess at this point, I felt really good at getting jobs I had no qualifications for whatsoever.)
I started as a pantry cook, making desserts, dim sum, sushi, and pretty much anything that didn’t require a wok. I learned what it felt like to have a rush of tickets come in around dinner; to hear the ticket machine print again, and again, and again, to no end. There was shouting both happy and stressed. Sometimes we’d all just sing and laugh, other times it felt like a mad scramble to catch up and get orders out as quickly as possible. I have so many fond memories of that little P.F. Chang’s. It’s where I met the father of my two beautiful daughters, and fell completely in love with the act of creating and serving.
From there, I continued my luck of getting jobs I was not qualified for (hah) and grew my knowledge and skills. From a job as a pastry cook at a fancy steakhouse in an expensive hotel in downtown Portland, to a prep cook position plucking cilantro and peeling garlic for hours, making sauce, soups, and (yes, more sushi) for a high-end Asian restaurant with roof top views and sky high expectations. I made beautiful wedding cakes for an adored local bakery alongside a kind and talented woman that would soon become one of my dearest friends.
Needless to say, I didn’t need that fancy college degree anymore. The people I met and grew to love in this industry had taught me everything I needed to grow, learn, and foster my passion for food. One way or the other, I stumbled through. This industry grew me as a person. It wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine, and it wasn’t an easy ride. It was long hours, burn blisters, worked holidays, and aching muscles.
We didn’t all have to agree on everything to understand our mutual obsession with food and the thing we loved that surrounded it. It was the reason each and every one of us was there, and we just fed off of each other’s fire. This emotional and contagious environment just made us feel like family. A family that would always have your back, no matter where this crazy food thing took you.
Why “wellness” matters
I’m one of those people that loves authentic, traditional, do-it-like-you-gramma-did, food. I love keeping tradition alive through food. It’s one of the biggest draws for me. That being said, I’m also for evolution, kindness, and taking care of the precious temple that is your body. With my recipes, I try to fall somewhere in the middle.
(… to be continued)
Let’s Work Together!
Do you see the potential for us to collaborate on some projects in the future? Have a question or need some help? Don’t hesitate to reach out and send me an email. Be sure to mention a little about yourself and your company (if that applies). I can’t wait to hear from you!
*Alder Spirit will only promote products/services that align with its core values, and the values of its viewers*
