Hello, my name is Nina M. Holmstrom (pronounced nine-a). I am a home chef and passionate about cooking and I simply love food!
I am your typical Pacific Northwest raised girl and feel so fortunate to have grown up in Washington. I was born in Seattle on a small lake and grew up living next to my grandmother. It was such a gift to have had so much time with her in her own kitchen. I’d spend so many afternoons watching her bake and make meals for herself and our family. She was the one who brought our family together and cooked every holiday meal.
My family had a rustic beach cabin on the Washington coast where I spent most of my childhood. We’d get up in the wee hours of the morning, put on warm layers, bring lanterns, and dig for razor clams. We’d get fresh fish and Dungeness crab from local fish markets and I learned to harvest, clean, and prepare the fruits of the ocean from my dad.
My father was an avid fisherman and would travel to Alaska to fish for salmon and halibut each year. I also remember a couple summers we spent in the San Juan islands where I learned about harvesting mussels, clams, and oysters. We’d drop crab pots of the dock and would catch Dungeness and rock crab. My dad took me deep sea fishing for cod and lingcod and I learned how to catch and prepare fish for our dinners. That was when my love of seafood really began.
When I was in my early 20’s I was a terrible cook! I didn’t know how to pick out ingredients, how long to cook each dish, or even how to season food to make them taste good. The kitchen was a daunting and scary place for me and I relied on my partner and friends to teach me how to make a decent meal. In my mid 20’s, I became a vegetarian and slowly began to learn how to cook with tofu and various soy proteins. I could make a pretty decent stir fry and rice, veggies, and some pretty basic dishes. That was basically it.
When my grandmother finally passed away and after my parents had divorced, I stepped into the shoes of the family matriarch. I learned how to make great dishes by making our family holiday meals. As many of you know, that is no easy task! Picking the right fresh ingredients, timing a multitude of dishes (for a multitude of people), and getting them all on the table at the same time was a feat. I was now eating meat again so my world opened up drastically to the foods that I could eat and that I wanted to eat. Through trial and error, reading cookbooks, and watching friends who were great cooks I finally knew my way around the kitchen.
Over the years I traveled to various countries and I always wanted to try everything that the “locals” would eat. When I would return home to Seattle, I soon realized just how many incredible markets and restaurants that we had. I was so inspired! Our city didn’t have just decent grocery stores, but incredible specialty stores with food and ingredients of all cultures and ethnicities. Going to the market on the weekend was my favorite past time and with each new shopping adventure, I would discover something new. As the years went on, my love and knowledge of food and cuisine grew and so did my culinary skills.
I now live on Whidbey Island and feel so blessed to be here. There are farm stands in the summertime, many local bakeries and local markets to support. I an animal and Nature lover. Just being near the water or walking in the woods is the best kind of soul food! I am a member of the Whidbey Audubon Society and am learning so much about all the local wildlife here and I’m becoming an avid bird watcher. I am also learning about harvesting native plants, mushroom, and seaweed foraging. When Dungeness crab season is open my partner and we go crabbing every chance we get.
I may be your typical PNW girl, but I am anything but typical. I am a sailor, Bladesmith and knifemaker, leatherworker, photographer and digital artist, costume creator, aspiring writer, Reiki Master, death doula in training, and soon a volunteer firefighter on South Whidbey Island. Learning to play an instrument has been a life long dream of mine and I recently learned to read music and am learning to play the violin, both Suzuki method and fiddle. I am also working on writing two children’s books right now that teach messages of self love, kindness, and acceptance.
I believe in kindness and not judging other people. I believe love will conquer all and hate has no place in this world. I believe laughter is the best medicine and you’ll soon discover my quirky sense of humor in my videos. I believe that food brings people together and I hope that my website and teaching others how to cook will brings you closer to the people you love.
I am a small business owner and knifemaker, my business is called Windhorse Forge. The world is full of amazing knifemakers who make some pretty badass culinary knives, but I’m working on forging my own designs that will set me apart from other knifemakers. The man who trained my mentor is solely responsible for the resurgence of modern knifemaking in the United States and one of the original founders of the American Bladesmith Society.
As a female Bladesmith I chose a chose a difficult path, but I am damn good at my craft. I make traditional camp knives, foraging knives, and am working on my line of knives for harvesting and preparing seafood. I am a master of restoration work and it is truly some of the most rewarding work that I do. I also make handmade leather crafts and am currently designing some beautiful leather masks, headdresses, and quivers for archers and flow artists. I’ll never stop creating, my soul flourishes through my art!
I am so excited to share everything I’ve learned in my kitchen and bring it to yours! Thank you for following my journey, thank you for your support, thank you for being here!
Much Love!
Nina