- First Step Recipes

Emma’s Story

You don’t need to cook like a pro..you just need to start.

Hi, I’m Emma Cooke, (Cooke is my husbund’s last name) , I am 37 yo and the voice (and mess-maker) behind First Step Recipes. I’m a home cook with a degree in nutrition and a deep love for food that actually feels good, without being fussy, filtered, or five hours long.

Emma Cooke in her home kitchen preparing fresh ingredients

What makes this blog different?

I hold a BSc in Nutrition from the University of Manitoba, and while this site isn’t about strict rules or dieting, I use that background to help readers cook with balance and confidence.

So if you’re ready to make meals with more confidence and less stress, you’re in the right kitchen.
Let’s take that first step together and make something delicious, one easy recipe at a time.

What You’ll Find Here

Straightforward recipes that anyone can follow
Ingredients you can actually find at a regular store
A sprinkle of nutrition insight (without the food guilt)
And a whole lot of “let’s try it and see” attitude

Emma Cooke testing recipes for First Step Recipes

How This Blog Started

This blog was born in a tiny apartment kitchen where I once set off the smoke alarm making toast. True story. I didn’t grow up knowing how to cook, most of what I know came from trial, error, and lots of “what if I just add this?” moments. And that’s why First Step Recipes exists: to make cooking from scratch feel doable, even if you’re starting from absolute zero.

Real Life in the Kitchen

And yes, things still go sideways in my kitchen sometimes.

Burnt crusts? Been there. Forgot the salt? Last week. But every mishap is part of the process, and weirdly, part of the joy. You’ll never find perfection here. Just honesty, helpful tips, and encouragement to keep going, even when the sauce splits.

Now for the fun part…this isn’t a solo project anymore.

My sisters, Molly and Jessie, have officially joined the kitchen crew here at First Step Recipes. Honestly, it’s been the best kind of chaos.

We all bring something different to the table. I’m the one with the nutrition background, and a habit of turning leftovers into something halfway impressive. Molly is our comfort-food queen. Her meals feel like warm blankets in bowl form (and yes, she always nails the seasoning). Then there’s Jessie…she’s bold, creative, and not afraid to throw in something unexpected just to “see what happens.” Somehow, it always works.

We’ve been cooking together forever, through holidays, late nights, toddler meltdowns, and more “what’s for dinner?” moments than I can count. And now, we get to share that love of real, imperfect, feel-good food with you.

Emma C, BSc Nutrition From The University Of Manitoba & my sisters too.

How We Cook, How We Live, and Why It Matters

Jessie, Molly and Emma, Co founders of firststeprecipes.com — Jessie, Molly & Emma

Honestly, the three of us never planned to turn our messy kitchen moments into a whole website, but here we are. It still surprises me sometimes. We cook together the same way we always have – talking over each other, arguing about whether the onions are “actually caramelized,” and passing kids snacks while something simmers. Nothing fancy. Just real life.

What you see on First Step Recipes is exactly what happens in our homes: Molly following her heart instead of the recipe card, Jessie rearranging a plate three times because the light changed, and me trying to make dinner slightly less chaotic with whatever nutrition tricks I remember from school. Somehow, it all fits.

If you’ve been looking for a place that doesn’t expect perfection, you’ll feel at home with us. We’re figuring things out right alongside you. And if all you do today is try one new recipe or learn one tiny thing that makes cooking feel easier, that’s already a win. We’re glad you’re here with us for all of it – the good meals, the flops, and everything in between.

Meet the Team Behind First Step Recipes

Jessie styling a finished dish in the kitchen

Before joining First Step Recipes, Jessie wore many hats: freelance content creator, food photographer, styling assistant, even workshop host for small businesses trying to find their brand’s “look.” Her portfolio was full before she even started collecting recipes.

About Jessie

Co-Creator, Visual Food Stylist, and Kitchen Daydreamer

Jessie grew up seeing the world through a lens, sometimes literally. At 28, she’s the creative eye behind many of our most vibrant dishes, shaped by years of working in the art and photography scene. After earning her Visual Arts degree from UBC, she spent nearly half a decade styling food and capturing stories for indie cafés, local bakeries, and artisan cookbooks.

Her background isn’t just aesthetic, it’s instinctive. Jessie doesn’t plan meals the traditional way. She might start with a color scheme or a texture she wants to explore. One time, it was the swirl in a ceramic bowl that inspired a raspberry glaze. Another day, it was the light hitting a loaf of seeded rye at 4 PM. That’s how her brain works, spontaneous, visual, and full of flavor.

About Molly

Co-Creator, Comfort Food Queen, and Cozy Chaos Manager

At 34, Molly is the emotional heartbeat of our kitchen. She holds a BA in Family Studies and spent nearly a decade working as a community support coordinator,where her gift was turning people’s bad days into better ones, with food. That same warmth shows up in every dish she makes.

Molly is our comfort-food queen..bakes, brunches, and big-batch casseroles that taste like home. Her meals are built on instinct and memory, not measurements, and somehow always hit the spot. Her style? A blend of Midwestern comfort and quiet mastery: creamy soups, soft rolls, baked pastas with crispy corners, and pies that disappear before they cool.

Molly preparing comfort food in her kitchen

When she’s not in the kitchen, Molly is likely gardening, flipping through vintage cookbooks, or hosting “Soup Sundays” for the whole crew. Her favorite motto? “Bake like someone’s coming over, even if they’re not.”

Recipe Testing & Editorial Standards

I don’t cook in a test kitchen. I cook at home, with real groceries, regular tools, and the same time limits everyone else has. If a recipe doesn’t work in real life, it doesn’t stay on the site.

Most recipes are made more than once, sometimes to check timing, sometimes because the first version just didn’t feel right. If something feels confusing or overly fussy, I simplify it. Clear and reliable always matter more to me than impressive.

I do have a background in nutrition (I earned my BSc in Nutrition from the University of Manitoba), but First Step Recipes isn’t about rules or perfect eating. The nutrition notes here are meant to be practical and supportive, not medical advice.

And because cooking is always a learning process, recipes get updated when small changes make them better. Just like real cooking, this site keeps growing one step at a time.

Recipes are developed and tested in a real home kitchen.
Nutrition insights are for general education, not medical advice.
We update recipes when we learn something that improves results.

Disclosure

First Step Recipes may earn income through display advertising and occasional affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the site and allows us to keep sharing new recipes.

Where Do You Want to Start?

Weeknight Wins

Quick dinners, low-stress meals, and “I can actually do this” recipes.

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