Hi there!! We’re Aki and Meg. (Each bio follows)
We’ve been friends for over 20 years, when Meg first came to America from Japan. She stayed as our foreign exchange student, and she’s been part of our family ever since.
Food has been a huge constant in our friendship. The food we love and create is a bridge which connects our cultures and identities. We believe food has the power to create relationships, explore identities, and placate hangry emotions.
We started this blog to explore culinary curiosities and find ways to beat the everyday cooking monotony. You’ll find a fun mix of international, sweet, umami, and delectable recipes here.
We’re so glad you’re on the adventure with us. Welcome aboard!
Meg (left) & Aki (right) circa 1996
Aki & Meg in 2023 Bonus shot with
Roo’s photo bomb
Aki Berry
Aki grew up in Texas with a Japanese mom and Colorado-cowboy dad. This instilled in her a unique perspective on cross-cultures and identity and it exposed her to a variety of vastly different foods. After graduating from the University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in the History of Art and Visual Cultures, Aki embarked on several trips — to India, Japan, Czechia, Poland and Central America — exploring how culture affects art and art affects culture, and creating itineraries which revolve around local food. She now lives in Northern California with her husband and three boys, juggling children, cooking, writing, and chaos. Aki loves being a soccer mom, but her oldest son has insisted that she’s a futbol mom! She has 18 chickens, two cats, an alligator lizard, and her goldendoodle named Roo. She prefers her marshmallows burnt and her bananas green.
Meg Chano
Meg is a cookbook author and photo/videographer with a passion for diverse cuisines and a knack for engineering. Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, she learned the secrets of cooking from her mom, grandmother and aunt, the latter two being licensed chefs in Japan. Meg embarked on a solo journey to the United States after high school and pursued a degree in electrical engineering and mathematics at the University of Arizona. She has had a diverse career, with experience in engineering, marketing, video and photography, and graphic design. Meg lives in the Greater Sacramento area with her husband and kids, balancing work and hobbies. She is always eager to try new dishes and learn about the different cultures that inspired them. Photography portfolio here.
Thanks to our fabulous friend over at Sacramento based Dearheart Studios for these amazing photos. To check out more of her stunning work, please check her out at dearheartsudios.com!
