Welcome to Two Kooks in the Kitchen!
We’re Cheryl and Jenna—a mother-daughter duo who share a serious love of food (and a kitchen, some of the time).
Our lives may look pretty different—different generations, different routines—but one thing we’ve always had in common is the joy of cooking and sharing great meals. That’s what inspired us to start this blog back in 2016.
Here, you’ll find recipes that are simple, adaptable, and always delicious—meant for real life and all the occasions that come with it. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just getting started, we hope you’ll find something you love.
What You’ll Find in Our Kitchen
Our #1 goal? Recipes that taste really good. We focus on using fresh ingredients whenever we can—but we’re also all about smart shortcuts that save time without sacrificing flavor.
We get it—life is busy. No one wants to chase down obscure ingredients or spend hours in the kitchen for a Tuesday night dinner. Our recipes are designed to be approachable, doable, and delicious.
We hope you’ll find a few new favorites to add to your regular rotation. And because we know everyone’s tastes and pantry staples are different, most of our recipes come with variations and substitutions so you can make them your own.
What You Can Expect
Cheryl photographing ingredients
for a recipe
Jenna digging into a completed recipe (the benefits of being a food blogger!
Where did “Kooks” come from?
It’s Cheryl talking here. My mom/Jenna’s grandmother has always called me kooks (pronounced cooks) and I, too, call Jenna kooks (pronounced kooooks). And yes, a play on the word “cooks”! Jenna actually came up with the name when she created the blog for the two of us to work on together.
Meet Cheryl Avrich
I’m a wife, mom, daughter, sister, grandmother, aunt, friend and avid cook for over 40 years. Born and raised in Montreal and now living just outside Toronto Canada.
Formerly a strategic planner in health care with a BSc and MBA, I am now on to new adventures – this blog (full time!), operating a volunteer lifelong learning program in my community, pickleball and… who knows what else down the road.
As a major food and research-lover, I’ve learned a great deal about cooking over the years from experience, books, videos, classes and experimentation. I am eager to share great recipes and tips. And new cooking methods like Sous Vide and the Instant Pot (well, not so new anymore).
I love planning and hosting dinner parties (I admit I’m a bit obsessive with the planning part). I love comfort foods, shortcuts that still taste great, recipes that get you from point A to B the fastest way possible and food that looks beautiful on the plate.
Together with my sisters, I wrote and published 2 editions of a family cookbook in honor of our mother who was a great inspiration to us in cooking and a lot more.
Jenna is one of my beautiful daughters who dreamed up this food blog for the two of us and presented me with this gift in December 2015.
Meet Jenna Ursini
I have transformed from a girl who was once told by a nutritionist that I had a fear of food to an emerging foodie who collects cookbooks and spends weekends trying out new kitchen gadgets and recipes.
As a vegetarian since the age of 8, I have often had to dig a bit deeper to find amazing cuisine that accommodates my dietary preferences.
My favorite weekend activities include walking to farmers markets, a nice dinner out with my husband or friends and/or attending one of the many food festivals in Toronto. I also love to travel and explore the food scene in new cities/countries.
Through fundraising and participating in Cook for the Cure (which raises money for The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation), I have had the incredible opportunity to meet and cook with some amazing celebrity chefs including Marcus Samelsson, Elizabeth Falkner, Mark McEwan, Lynn Crawford, Vikram Vij, Corbin Tomaszeski, Susur Lee, and Ricardo.
I married in 2014 and continue to learn how to cook for someone who is used to eating meat at every meal. Fortunately, he’s enjoying a lot more vegetarian meals!
By the way, if you’re curious, here is how my mom reacted to me becoming a vegetarian at 8 years old. And another ‘by the way’, I’m a mom now!
Fun facts About Two Kooks
Do you two get along since you have to work so closely together?
We do (most of the time). We are big fans of each other and bring different skills and experiences to the table. We respect each other’s opinions and, thankfully, have the same goals for the blog. And, we both love cooking and eating, of course.
Do we annoy each other sometimes? Absolutely! Hey, we are mother and daughter!
What is the most popular recipe on Two Kooks?
Without question, it’s our super moist banana bread recipe (with a spoon). Based on the comments, readers absolutely love it.
Close behind are spicy honey lime chicken, foolproof Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs, chicken gravy without drippings and Vietnamese grilled chicken.
What are your favorite kinds of recipes?
We both love comfort foods and internationally-inspired foods. Jenna only eats vegetarian so we have lots of those on our site. Jenna also loves pasta (she married Italian!), and Cheryl loves sous vide cooking and grilling.
Do you have any special holiday recipes you love?
We are both in mixed marriages, so we celebrate Christian and Jewish holidays. With all the yummy foods of both (as you will see on our site) – from sugar cookies to potato knishes!
One Reader Says…
“I recently discovered your site and would like to compliment you on how you present your material. As a (likely crabby) retired English teacher, I usually give up in despair while trying to make sense of the tangled messes that pass for online content. Your site is exceptional in that the directions are clear and the formatting is logical. It’s a bonus that the recipes are also delicious! Thank you for your fine work.”
