Hello there. I’m Christine, the creator behind Chrisse en place.
While my background is in healthcare, my favorite hobbies have always been cooking, baking, and photography. I actually just moved to a new city and was about to start a new job when my health quite suddenly plummeted. After seeing several doctors, I was finally diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease.
It was a physically and emotionally difficult time for me, and it was then I truly realized how much of a blessing good health is. During this time, however, I also turned to cooking and baking in the kitchen. It was the only thing that didn’t worsen my eye fatigue or dizziness, and it was emotionally therapeutic.
I also adopted a healthier diet. I found myself making things I would normally just buy ready-made from the bakery or restaurant. By making things at home, I felt more confident knowing that what I was eating was made with clean and fresh ingredients, and no preservatives. And to satisfy my sweet tooth while at the same time remaining conscientious of my new diet, I started making dessert recipes that use less sugar or natural sugar alternatives.
Over time, I eventually found myself with several original recipes, and wondered why not make a food blog for fun? I could have an organized and illustrative journal of the food I create and at the same time have some fun doing the hobbies I already enjoy: cooking, baking and photography.
And so, with this untraditional and unexpected beginning, Chrisse en place was created.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?
Chrisse en place is a play on words combining my nickname, Chriss, with the culinary term, “mise en place,” which, in French, means to have everything in place. While maybe my life and health was everything but “mise en place”, I am at least able to make sure everything is “in place” my kitchen. I always like staying organized and planning ahead in my day to day activities, so this practice of “mise en place” or prepping and measuring out ingredients before starting a recipe calms me. Perhaps when you “mise,” you also experience the same calming fluidity as you seamlessly go through the steps of a recipe.
You’ll notice that a lot of my recipes are of Korean cuisine. While I am Korean American and was born here in the States, I lived in Seoul, South Korea, for 8 years. After returning back to the states for college, I realized how difficult it is to find authentic Korean food at reasonable prices in the US. I thought it would be nice to share recipes of my favorite Korean dishes for you to recreate at home. I wrote these recipes to closely resemble the taste of dishes I liked back in Seoul.
Besides the Korean cuisine staples, you’ll find Asian fusion recipes and recipes replicating some of my favorite dishes and desserts.
My main culinary inspirations are Chef Thomas Keller, Chef James Kenji López-Alt, Chef Roy Choi, and Chef Joanne Chang.