Hello and welcome to The Travel Palate! I'm Nikole and I obsess about food so you don't have to.
I am a self-taught home cook and my recipes are easy to make, reliable, and most of all delicious!
What you'll find on The Travel Palate
- Easy-to-make recipes that don't sacrifice flavor for convenience.
- Globally inspired recipes that are made with easy to find fresh and pantry ingredients.
- Weeknight recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less.
- Desserts that are perfect for family celebrations.
- Travel tips and restaurant recommendations (on hold for now due to the pandemic).
My recipes are made from easy to find ingredients. I do most of my shopping from Target, Walmart, and Tom Thumb (which is also Albertson's and Safeway). I always include substitution suggestions too, just in case!
I also include step by step instructions and process photos to help demonstrate how recipes are put together. My recipes aren't complicated, but sometimes it just helps to see it in action.
Every recipe you see on the blog has been photographed, tested...and tested by yours truly. My family and friends are my taste testers and nothing makes it onto the blog unless they have proclaimed it "blog worthy".
A Little Bit About Me
I'm a wife and mom with over 20 years of experience as the "head chef" of our family. Whether I'm making dinner on the fly or cooking for large holiday and family gatherings, I'm always using these opportunities to create great tasting food that my family and your family will love.
We live in North Central Texas where beef, BBQ, and Tex Mex reign. Many of my recipes reflect my love for our regional cooking, but don't be surprised when you see some "healthyish" or lighter recipes here. Salad for dinner might mean chocolate cake for dessert!
My other passion in life is travel! When I started The Travel Palate in early 2018, I was excited about exploring my curiosity through travel, and I wanted to share that with you. Due to the pandemic, that idea is on hold. However, as things open up we are looking forward to traveling again. Stay tuned!
Inspiration
I was exposed to all kinds of food as a kid. My mom is Japanese and my USMC dad is from Ohio. That meant a delicious variety of Asian cuisine along with hearty and comforting midwest fare was always cooking up in the kitchen.
When I was around 7, we settled in El Paso, Texas, a town that sits along the Rio Grande on the frontera or border with Mexico. Delicious Mexican food dominates, but the large Army base and international business makes it a bit of a melting pot.
Being bi-racial and growing up in a culturally diverse part of the US has certainly inspired a love for unique flavors and a curiosity of global cuisine.
Photography
One of the most enjoyable things about blogging has been learning food (and travel) photography. In fact, my interest in photography is what led me to start taking pictures of our dinners! I realized quite quickly that I could combine my love of cooking and food photography to create The Travel Palate.
Features
I was excited to be featured in Parade Magazine for my Instant Pot Brisket recipe! You can find the article here: Best Instant Pot Party Food Recipes.
The Venue Report for their article 24 Reasons Charleston is a Perfect Bachelorette Party Destination.
My Homemade Granola Recipe was featured in Men's Journal for their article Easy Five Ingredient Breakfast Ideas to Make on Busy Mornings.
I have also had my recipes and photography featured in these fine publications:
The Travel Palate Content Protection and Copyright
This website and its contents are the copyright of The Travel Palate - © 2018-2021.
The Travel Palate doesn't allow its original photography, recipes, or writing to be reproduced without written permission. Please don't copy and paste my recipes or travel content to your blog, website, social media platform, or print publication.
If you're inspired by something you see on my site, simply contact me at nikole@thetravelpalate.com. In most cases, I'd be happy to share one photo!
For sharing on social media platforms such as Facebook and Pinterest, please use the social media sharing buttons provided above each post.
This information was updated on 1-1-2021.
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Want to be internet bff's?
Then let's connect. E-mail me at nikole@thetravelpalate.com.