A Spotlight On Allrecipes Allstar: Renee Pajestka

Renee is one of the 60 million cooks in our Allrecipes community and an Allrecipes Allstar.

What is an Allstar? Food bloggers, registered dietitians, and more home cooks (just like you!) make up our enthusiastic squad of 100+ brand ambassadors. This crew of food lovers has submitted thousands of recipes, photos, and reviews over the years, plus share their cooking expertise all over our website and social channels. In short, they make all of our cooking adventures more successful. Interested in becoming an Allrecipes Allstar? Learn more, and sign up here.

Q&A with Renee

Allrecipes: Tell us about yourself!

Renee Pajestka: I'm a mom, grandma, wife, and former nurse turned food blogger/recipe creator. I've always enjoyed creating in the kitchen, and food is how I show others love. For as long as I can remember, cooking always made me happy. I don't have formal culinary training, but having the passion to try new things has helped me learn techniques by trail and error over the years.

AR: What kitchen tools can you not live without? 

RP: As simple as it sounds, I cannot live without a large collection of rubber spatulas. How else are you going to scrape the last drops of goodness out of bowls?

AR: What is your favorite easy weeknight dish?

RP: This one-pan meal couldn't be any easier, and I make it often when I need a quick weeknight meal.

AR: How did you come to love cooking? 

RP: When I was about five, Santa brought me an Easy Bake Oven, and I was sold after that!

AR: Who or what is inspiring you right now?

RP: Right now, I'm all about soups. I've been making soup each week for lunch because homemade soup is much better than canned. One of my favorite soup recipes, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, was featured in Allrecipes' Keepers 175+ cookbook.

AR: What's one easy tip for the home cook? 

RP: Relax, it's just food...

Starting at the Table

The kitchen is where your day begins, where you eat, where you hang out; it is the social hub of the whole family. It is commonly the most used room in the house. So, it’s not surprising that for Renee, the kitchen played a quintessential part in raising her family, and cooking was a way for her to say, "I love you." 

Not formally trained, Renee learned everything she knows about cooking from 30+ years of trial and error and Betty Crocker. She has always loved cooking, baking, and just " creating" in the kitchen. When we asked Renee about her most cherished tradition and meal, she reminisced about memories with her family in the kitchen. From baking and decorating Christmas cookies for Santa, to successfully preparing a rib roast for Christmas dinner, these memories became essential to her family's traditions and a creative outlet for Renee. 

She believes that cooking and baking for your family shouldn't be a massive production or something to be intimidated by at all. It’s more about bringing everyone together one delicious, nutritious meal at a time. As a mom of three, prioritizing family meals wasn't easy, but it was a vital part of raising a family for Renee. Through these family dinners, her family was able to share their highs and lows, create lasting memories, and spend quality time together.

Learn more about Renee and what she's cooking in her kitchen!