Hi! I’m Lauren McGurrin, and every day I wake up asking myself the question, “what’s for dinner?”
I’m the founder of Herbal and Spiced. I’m a private chef and food stylist who teaches intuitive cooking. I’ve worked for high-profile restaurant openings, food media productions, and Michelin-awarded establishments.
…What is intuitive cooking, you ask?
Intuitive cooking means that the best meals come from cooking with your instincts. Tasting your food as you go, seasoning with salt and acid, and learning to read heat are the best ways to elevate your cooking from amateur to master.
Don’t think you have kitchen instincts? Of course you do! You already know when something’s delicious. It’s my job to train you to listen to your senses by teaching you culinary queues.
I believe that cooking for yourself can be a spiritual act of self-care that can cultivate greater calm, well-being, and health.
Frequently Asked Questions Include…
What’s your favorite cuisine?
I don’t have a favorite cuisine, but I do love cooking and eating things that require my full attention. Slurping spicy noodles, inhaling a taco, or breaking an oozing yolk on a fried egg count as transcendent moments for me. I also love cooking and eating vegetables that make people say, “I had no idea that could taste so good!”
Yes— the vast majority of my private clients have dietary restrictions, from gluten-free to plant-based to allergies. A lot of my clients are vegetarian-ish: they want to eat plants as the star of their show, but they don’t mind a little anchovy or sausage thrown in here or there. Regardless of your “limitations,” I promise I’ll make a meal for you that will make even your pickiest omnivore friend say, “damn, that’s delicious.”
Do you work with clients with dietary restrictions?
What’s the easiest way to see what you’re up to?
Sign up for my newsletter, check out the food blog page of this website, or follow me on Instagram. I offer a lot of cool information, including but not limited to no-recipe recipes, updates on food justice initiatives, kitchen rituals, and information on adaptogens (don’t know what adaptogens are? That’s a reason to sign up for my newsletter too!).
Testimonials
"Lauren is an amazing, talented personal chef! Her menus are creative and fun, using simple, fresh ingredients. Her Thai duck lettuce cups are a family favorite, accommodating our diverse and picky palettes. Not only does Lauren have an excellent command of the kitchen, but she is organized, personable, and always has a positive attitude. We highly recommend her!"
—Rachel, client
“Lauren is a fabulous chef. She is talented, creative, and a pleasure to work with.”
—Barb, client
“Not only is Lauren a gifted, creative chef, but she is an excellent and supportive teacher! Cooking for larger groups has always been stressful for me and in the past, for example, by the time Thanksgiving dinner reached the table I was exhausted. Not so last year when I hired Lauren. What I most appreciated was her openness to my preferences and her ability to take the lead with suggestions when I needed. I learned cooking skills and techniques that I continue to use increasing my effectiveness and efficiency in the kitchen. Lauren is deeply knowledgeable, able to accommodate different palates and dietary requirements and an absolute pleasure to know and learn from.”
— Nancy, client
Questions I wish people would ask more include…
What is your food philosophy?
1) Cooking can be an act of spiritual transformation.
The rituals that those closest to me look forward to most are taking walks, their morning cup of coffee, and filling their bird baths. I believe that approaching cooking as a ritual to look forward to can hold the same transcendental value as meditation. It requires focus, it allows you to get into your senses, and it nourishes you from the inside out. I love teaching people how to gain more out of their kitchen practices and the ways in which that spills over into their overall quality of life.
2) I’m not here to tell you what not to eat.
There are plenty of other people out there who love telling you what you should and shouldn’t be eating at all times. I’m not one of those people. Life is short, and people struggle enough with seeing food as the enemy. I’m here to make food a joyful tool of transformation in your life.
3) That being said, loving food means taking an interest and a stance in how it’s produced.
I don’t follow anything terribly restrictive for myself, but I do try to eat largely plant-based. It’s more delicious (if you know how to trust your kitchen instincts!), it’s better for the planet, and I feel better as well. Animal protein generally shows up more as a condiment when I’m cooking, although I can’t resist a good chicken liver mousse or a perfect tartare.
4) Don’t be a snob.
Between my various jobs, I’m always stumbling upon a lot of ingredients that are about to be thrown away. I put my small personal dent in the food system by using the odd and ends of things that would otherwise get thrown away. It’s an eye-opening practice that has taught me that the stems of broccoli can be even more delicious and flavorful than a wagyu steak when prepared properly.
Basically: just because something is more renowned, doesn’t mean it’s more delicious, or even more healthy. Learning to look beyond the packaging and to get to the heart of the ingredients with a discerning eye is an important kitchen skill.
What food questions are living in your head rent-free these days, Laur?
These days, I’m interested in the following questions:
“How can I incorporate traditional ancestral kitchen practices into my cooking?” How can I help others do the same?
“How do I help make an impact on issues of food justice?” I read up as much as I can on mutual aid efforts, prison food reform, and food access so that I can share the information with others and see where I can help.
“How do I incorporate more herbalism into my kitchen practices?” Dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so there’s a lot of quackery out there. How do I incorporate more herbs into my cooking that allow me to eat more healthfully, deliciously, and sustainably?