Greetings, my name is Nicole Presley. My surname, Presley, strikes people a little sideways, considering I am a Mexican American girl from East Los Angeles. It always leaves people scratching their heads… “Presley? Hmmm, how did that happen?” Let me explain how this famous name was bestowed upon me. My Grandfather on my father’s side, who was born and raised in Missouri, his last name is Presley (no relation to the King). In 1947 Grandpa Presley married my Mexican grandmother. They gave birth to my father. Fast forward 25 odd years, my father married my gorgeous Mexican mother, and gave birth to me a year later. Nicole Marie Presley…. and there you have it, that’s how my name came to pass.
Growing up my mom never cooked. I don’t think she had an interest in it, or maybe she viewed it more as a chore. No one in my house cooked…..I shouldn’t say that, they made the basics. As far back as my mind will stretch, I remember being fascinated with people who could cook. At social functions, instead of playing outside with the rest of the children, I’d anchor myself in the kitchen to watch the real entertainment unfold, with the hopes that they would let me help somehow…. always asking a million questions about what was being made and how it was prepared. I knew then, as a small child, that cooking was the farthest thing from a chore…. it was a true art form and one I would try and excel at for the rest of my life. My obsession with cooking grew momentum as I turned the corner into my teens. It was also at that exact point that my interest in baking occurred. To me, baking was the coolest science. I was in love. I befriended many women and men who were ripe with age and experience in the kitchen…. talk of recipes and cooking tips were plentiful. I’ve never stopped since. Cooking and baking is my passion. It’s what I live for. I’m a self taught gal, who is very grateful to all the people who endured my culinary questions, and all the people in my life that allowed me to experiment with different dishes and always gobbled them down happily.
In this blog, I will highlight the recipes of my scrumptious journey and tell the story of how I created them, where my inspiration came from and the travels that allowed me to taste foreign foods and incorporate them in my cooking and baking.
I continue dwelling in my beloved city of East Los Angeles.
