Hi, I’m Adrienne Boswell—an award-winning home cook, cookbook author, and food educator. I built The Good Plate to help people cook smarter—not harder—using tools like the Instant Pot, air fryer, cast iron, sous vide, and more. My recipes are grounded in real ingredients and practical techniques that make great food accessible to everyone.
Adrienne Boswell – Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
I trained under Hilton Executive Chef John Farion, CEC, and have spent decades perfecting the art of cooking. I wrote *Talking Turkey, a complete guide to mastering the bird, and I’m currently working on a definitive burger book covering grinding, seasoning, forming, and freezing.
Over the years, I’ve won local charity cooking contests, catered private events, and become an expert in cast iron restoration. I’ve published two cookbooks, maintain a growing YouTube channel, and send out the What’s Cookin’? Something Good! newsletter to over 1,500 subscribers every month.
My recipes are cited on other blogs, grounded in USDA guidelines, and trusted by hundreds of followers on Quora—where I’ve answered thousands of culinary questions. If it’s in my kitchen, I’ve used it. If it’s on my blog, it’s been tested.
Quora Comments about Adrienne Boswell
Thank you for your straight forward answer. Since I hadn’t the time to wait for all the wonderful answers I received I actually did this just to see and it worked perfectly!
Thank you for taking the time out to answer my initial question, Ms. Boswell!!
Boswell Brands
One of the most used spices in my cabinet is my own Boswell Seasoned Salt. It is a custom spice blend born from decades in the kitchen and perfected through countless family meals and recipe tests. This all-purpose seasoning brings out the best in everything from roasted vegetables and meats to eggs and even popcorn—crafted with real ingredients, no fillers, and a balance of savory, herbal, and subtle heat. It’s a pantry essential for cooks who want bold flavor without fuss.
My Cooking History
I have been cooking since I was 9 years old when my mother asked me to put the roast of beef in the oven because she was running late getting home from work. We lived in Hollywood, California, in one of the stately old buildings that used to house Hollywood’s élite. We had an old stove whose top burners had to be lit with a match, and luckily, the oven had a pilot light, so I was good. I took the roast from the refrigerator and put it in the oven. Then, not knowing any better, I put the temperature knob to like 450. I didn’t know! When I started smelling it, I thought I might turn it down. That roast was the best one we had had, and I still do that very same thing when I want to sear something I am roasting. After that, my mother decided I would be a fine cook, which became my chore. I loved it!
Rotisserie Stuffed Beef Roast for Labor Day or Any Day
As you can see, I got a lot better at making roast beef, and now it’s one of my favorite things to make.
My Mother Taught Me to Cook
Mamma was a good cook, self-taught. She collected cookbooks, and we would go through them, find something new we had never had, and make it. My mother liked gourmet food. She couldn’t see why you had to go to an expensive restaurant for an excellent meal. When we went to a restaurant, my mother and I would take notes about how the food tasted, what ingredients we thought were in it, and how we could make it at home.
My mother and I only had one disaster – it was a recipe with dried mushrooms. My mother paid a lot of money to make this pasta sauce, which was nasty. We tried everything to make that sauce palatable, but nothing worked. The sauce wound up in the trash. The dish that was the absolute best that came out of a cookbook was the chocolate mousse. It was incredibly rich, and I’ve made it myself a few times.
I miss my mother and her cooking. She did a good job of teaching me the skills I have now, but of course, she didn’t teach me everything. I watched a lot of Graham Kerr’s The Galloping Gourmet, and he taught me how to hold and use a knife properly. He also taught me how to crack an egg and open it with one hand.
John Farion, CEC
I studied under Chef John Farion, CEC. He taught me even more and gave me some wonderful recipes that have become cornerstones of my cooking. He always said that I should have been a baker because I make such good cakes. Sadly, John Farion, CEC, died in 2017. I miss John a great deal, and when I think of some food he would like, I go to pick up the phone—and then remember he’s in the Big Kitchen in the Sky.
John was a great admirer of Anthony Bourdain. I hope they can meet in the Big Kitchen in the Sky and talk about food, people, and cooking because John loved people. Maybe they’ll have a glass of wine together, and John can share his recipe for melon balls with freshly ground black pepper—none of us liked it when he made it, but maybe Bourdain will.
This brings me to the end. I hope this journey of cooking for the people we love will never end. I love my friends and family, and I love to cook for them.
You are more than welcome to contact me via social media: