Danielle Cochran

IN THE KITCHEN WITH DANIELLE COCHRAN

Tell us about yourself:

My name is Danielle Cochran. I’m a recipe creator, on socials TheSaltyCooker. I love to cook, grill, smoke and bake. Originally from MI, I now live in NC with my husband and two dogs. When I’m not in the kitchen, I love to fish, travel, eat — pretty much anything, lol. I love to laugh and have a good time.

How did you get involved in cooking?

I started to cook at the age of 16. My mom was an amazing cook, she catered and her food was always the star of any get together. She always begged me to cook but I refused, swearing I’d marry a chef, lol! At 16 I was living on my own — very poor. Friends and family donated venison meat so I had something to eat. Cooking game meat is its own art. I did this until my now husband and I started to do better financially. Around 22ish, the Food Network was becoming popular. We lived in northern MI at the time and there wasn’t a lot of dining options. I would binge watch my fave chefs and started to play with techniques and flavors. I purchased a cookbook/technique book that you get in culinary school and studied this book front to back. I found cooking/baking/grilling a form of therapy and just went deep.

Describe your cooking style:

My style has been described as down to earth cooking/baking/grilling. I love variety — experimenting with different cuisines. My dishes are all over the board and are based off of what I’m craving. My goal is to find what works best, and making it as easy as possible to achieve the maximum flavor for that dish.

How did you learn about grass-fed meats?

I saw an AD I think on Facebook.

What is your favorite recipe featuring grass-fed meat?

I used ground beef, ground lamb and most recently ground bison for my healthier moussaka and that was delicious!
https://thesaltycooker.com/healthier-moussaka/

You’re stranded on a desert island; luckily, you’re stranded with your top 5 ingredients and one must-have kitchen tool:

Wusthof Santoku 7” knife, potatoes, kosher salt, dried chickpeas, olive oil, rice

Best cooking secret/tip/piece of advice you’ve learned:

Read the directions completely before starting a recipe.

What’s your favorite quote/song for culinary inspiration (if any)?

“When someone cooks for you, they are saying something. They are telling you about themselves: where they come from, who they are, what makes them happy.”
– Anthony Bourdain

Anything else you want to share?

Visit The Salty Cooker for my new cookbook, Craveworthy Baking.

Your social media links (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube):

Instagram.com/TheSaltyCooker
Facebook.com/TheSaltyCooker
Pinterest.com/TheSaltyCooker
YouTube.com/TheSaltyCooker
TikTok.com/TheSaltyCooker
Threads.TheSaltyCooker

Enter To Win!

Enter to Win our July 2024 Summer Food Bundle Giveaway for a chance to win $170 bundle of delicious & nutritious grass-fed and pastured meats. Contest runs from July 1 – June 14, 2024.