Welcome to Owning This Stove. I’m so glad you’re here.
I’m a food blogger, recipe developer, and storyteller who believes food is one of the most honest ways to understand a place, a person, or a moment in time.
This blog is where I collect those moments, from quiet mornings in unfamiliar kitchens to crowded cafés filled with conversation and clinking cups.
How Food Found Me
I didn’t grow up dreaming of a perfectly styled kitchen or a chef’s coat. I grew up curious.
Curious about how the same ingredients could taste completely different depending on who cooked them. Curious about why some meals stayed with me long after the plate was cleared. That curiosity followed me into adulthood and eventually into cafés, bakeries, and small kitchens across different cities.
Working in cafés taught me more than any recipe ever could. I learned how mornings really start, how food supports people through long days, and how much care goes into simple things when they are made well. Every job added a layer to how I cook and how I think about food.
Traveling, Cafés, and Culture
Travel became my classroom.
I took café jobs wherever I landed, learning local rhythms, ingredients, and habits from behind the counter. I watched how people ordered, what they reached for when they were tired, celebrating, or in a hurry. Food became my way of understanding culture without needing to speak the language perfectly.
Those experiences shaped how I cook now. I bring pieces of them into my own kitchen, adapting flavors, techniques, and ideas into meals that feel grounded and personal rather than copied.
Why I Started Owning This Stove
Owning This Stove began as a way to document everything I was learning.
I wanted a space that felt real. A place for recipes inspired by travel but meant for home kitchens. A place where food photography captured atmosphere, not perfection. A place that showed the process as much as the result.
This blog is about claiming your space in the kitchen, wherever you are. It is about cooking with confidence, curiosity, and respect for where food comes from.
What You’ll Find Here
On Owning This Stove, you’ll find:
- Recipes inspired by café culture and travel
- Everyday meals with thoughtful flavors
- Food photography that tells a story
- Reflections on culture, kitchens, and creativity
- Practical cooking with room for intuition
Everything here is tested, tasted, and written from lived experience.
My Approach to Food
I cook with intention, not pressure.
I believe food should reflect where you are in life, not where you think you should be. I value balance, texture, and flavor over trends. I trust repetition, observation, and instinct more than rigid rules.
Most importantly, I believe food is meant to be shared, remembered, and felt.
Life Beyond the Stove
When I’m not cooking or photographing food, I’m usually exploring a new neighborhood, finding cafés that feel like they’ve always existed, or planning my next move. I travel light, collect recipes in notebooks, and take far too many photos of coffee cups and pastries.
No matter where I am, the kitchen is home.
Let’s Connect
If you’ve cooked one of my recipes, visited a café you loved, or simply want to talk about food and travel, I’d love to hear from you.
Owning This Stove is a growing story, and I’m grateful you’re part of it.
Warmly,
Ella Davis
