The Cozy Cook

Book cover graphicThe Cozy Cookbook is here! Order Now!

Hi, I’m Stephanie!

The Cozy Cook is a recipe website started by Stephanie Melchione, and is designed to give busy families access to easy, family-friendly recipes with simple ingredients.

A picture of The Cozy Cook, Stephanie Melchione, cooking in her kitchen.

Hey, I’m Stephanie! Welcome to The Cozy Cook! Here, it’s all about being laid-back in the kitchen. My goal is for you to have fun with cooking by creating simple recipes that you’ll always feel confident feeding to friends and family.

The ingredients that I use are always basic, the steps are easy to follow, and the leftovers taste even better than the night before.

A Little Back Story

I graduated from The University of New Hampshire in 2007. During this time, I had just started dating my (now) husband, and was a firm believer that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! Unfortunately, I didn’t have many skills to offer in the kitchen. In fact, I had grown used to having chef-prepared meals at my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. 

Like most of us, I turned to online recipes for dinner ideas. I often struggled to find ones that tasted as good as the flawless images appeared, or were really as “quick and easy” as they claimed to be.

I found myself researching cooking methods and trying to put them into practice while still keeping my recipes simple. I couldn’t believe what a difference a proper technique or a simple ingredient could make. And I really couldn’t believe the lack of information or guidance that existed on some of the popular websites that I found.

I began posting images of my recipes on Facebook (that I, of course thought were brilliant photos taken with my cell phone). Let me assure you, they were not. 🥴

At the suggestion of a friend, I started a food blog in the Fall of 2013. The domain name was almost as terrible as the photos, and I quickly realized that although I had mastered some skills in the kitchen, my business mindset and photography skills were still a lot to be desired.

From there, I turned to photography and blogging resources. After working at my regular 9-5 job, I would come home and continue test recipes, practice photography, and seek out blogging resources.

In June 2018,  I decided it was time to dive into my passion full-time and bid goodbye to the Corporate world that I had known for 10 years. Did I almost pass out at the thought of leaving this sense of security that I had known for so long? –Yes. Was it the best decision I ever made? –Yes. 

In 2020, my husband Mark was able to join me in working for the business full time. Exactly a year later, my sister Danielle joined the team as well! We are so thankful and honored to be able to provide you with tried-and-true, fully tested recipes that will make you feel confident in the kitchen!

Check out my favorite kitchen tools and essentials here!

To learn more about my blogging journey, check out this podcast!

To see me on some local New Hampshire news segments, check this out and this out!

A picture of Stephanie Melchione sitting with a plate of pasta and smiling at the camera.

Our Goal at The Cozy Cook

Every time I prepare a recipe to feature on The Cozy Cook, I picture you. I picture busy working families, budget-conscience singles, and those of you who can barely make toast. I picture you standing in your kitchen, reading my instructions and following each step of my recipe.

I know you’re putting your trust in me. You’re spending money on the ingredients you’re using, and time on the reading, preparation, and cooking.  (And let’s not forget, you’re hungry.)

-My goal is to make sure your time and money aren’t wasted when you prepare a recipe that I’ve given you.

-I want to make your life easier by allowing you to prepare food that you’re proud of and will want to eat again.

-My hope is that you may be as thankful for me as I am for you.

The Cozy Cookbook!

The Cozy Cookbook is officially here! Order yours now!

This beautiful 8 x 10-inch hardcover book features over 100 reader-favorite recipes, including easy dinner recipes, soups, side dishes, appetizers, desserts, and more.

The Cozy Cook, Stephanie Melchione, in a cozy bed with her dog Toby.

Contact Me

Email me at Stephanie@TheCozyCook.com. I also love to respond to recipe questions within the post itself, which also gives other readers a resource if they have the same question.

Please note that I do not accept guest contributions to my blog or link back to sites unless I organically arrive at them on my own.

Be sure to follow me on social media too: Pinterest | InstagramFacebook 

Get My Free Meal Plan

I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!

And follow me on FacebookInstagram, and Pinterest!

Features

I am proud to have been featured on websites such as Reader’s Digest, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Thrillist, Delish, Buzzfeed, Yahoo!, She Knows, and more.

I’ve also been featured by some fellow food bloggers including Gimme Some Oven, Brown Eyed Baker, and Recipe Tin Eats.


Photo Credit: Joyelle West

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