NYC is a throbbing heartbeat. You walk down the street and behind every face is a whole life, a history and a world unlike our own. The Inherited Plate is a love letter to this city and the people and food in it!
I’m Danielle, a native New Yorker, cook, writer, and lover of food, stories and people. A few years ago, I had a dream to start my own website and series to share videos and recipes I’ve collected from New Yorkers who come from all over the world.
As a kid growing up in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, I always wanted to cook and write. I loved experimenting on my own in the kitchen or helping my grandmother, mother and aunt prepare food for our family. Standing beside them, tasting, chopping and listening to them talk about their lives was my first true love.
Cooking for me was and still is about learning and discovery. When I left the restaurant industry, I began this curious project cooking with everyone I knew, anyone that would share a personal recipe with me. Some were chefs, most were not. They were New Yorkers I worked with, volunteered with, danced with, or met through a friend.
What I uncovered during the process was that food is an intimate gateway through which we learn about people, values, culture, memory and family. It’s a common denominator that unites us.
The Inherited Plate was created to preserve these special recipes and traditions. It’s about connection, discovery, and simply put, food cooked with love. Send us a note, ask a question, and we 'll do our best to get back to you!
Love,
D
Danielle Rehfeld Colen is the founder and curator of The Inherited Plate. She graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, The George Washington University and has worked in professional NYC kitchens and in private homes for the last 10 years. Danielle has tested recipes at Real Simple, Women’s Day and wrote and developed recipes for her food column What's Cooking in The Riverdale Press for 5 years. Most recently, her work was published in The Boston Globe. She caters, teaches private cooking classes and cooks with professional chefs and home cooks from all over the world to preserve and share their authentic family recipes, stories and special culinary knowledge. She lives in NYC. Follow her on Instagram @daniellerehfeld @theinheritedplate and on twitter @daniellerehfeld.