Hi! I’m Catherine Smart, a recipe developer/food writer/mom, who happens to have ADHD. Whether you are formally diagnosed like me, or just have a busy brain and could use some inspiration and support in the kitchen, I’m on a mission to help all of us spark creativity, calm the chaos, and discover joy in the kitchen.

My food career began bussing tables my freshman year at the University of New Hampshire. From there, I started a personal chef business, pursued a Masters' in Gastronomy at Boston University, and contributed recipes and writing to places like The Boston Globe, Saveur, Departures and Serious Eats.

You may have spotted me cooking on PBS in the first four seasons of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street TV or heard me reporting and sharing recipes on Milk Street Radio.

These days, I host The Not From Concentrate Podcast and write the Not From Concentrate newsletter on Substack, while testing recipes on my husband Artie, and our sons Jack and Pete. Our rascally black lab Clementine makes sure no crumb goes to waste.

A woman with long brown hair smiling while holding a sandwich with tomato, cheese, and lettuce in a kitchen.

Meet me in the kitchen.

A man and woman sitting close together at a restaurant table, smiling at the camera. The man has dark hair, glasses, and a beard, while the woman has wavy blonde hair with bangs and is wearing a patterned blouse. They are indoors with a window to their right and wooden paneling behind them.
Close-up of a happy black lab with its mouth open, sitting on dirt and looking at the camera.