About Me

Hi there! I’m Chef Alma, and welcome to First Tasting.

I was born on a September morning in 1981, right in the heart of Texas, where the sun kisses the land just right and the soil has a story to tell. I spent many years living and working on farms, where I learned that the best meals often start with dirt under your nails and love in your heart. Those wide-open spaces, morning dew on rows of crops, and the smell of fresh cornbread in the oven are stitched into my memories like an old patchwork quilt.

Now, I’m a proud mother of three wonderful kids who are my biggest cheerleaders and most honest taste testers. Life with them is full of noise, laughter, spills, and surprises-a bit like cooking, really. I believe anyone can learn to cook with heart, especially when you start by making something just for the joy of it.

My favorite way to unwind is to hop on social media and explore the viral recipe rabbit holes of Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. It’s like a treasure hunt, every time. I try out what catches my eye, test it in my kitchen (sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes it’s a hot mess!), and then I share my honest take with you. No fancy terms, no pressure—just one home cook to another.

What I want most is to help beginners find joy and confidence in the kitchen. If you’re nervous to turn on the oven, worried your chicken’s too dry, or wondering what “al dente” really means, you’re in the right place. We’ll take it one bite at a time. I’ll share what I know, what I’m still figuring out, and everything in between.

Cooking doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.

Let’s get cooking, Alma