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Kendra Thompson

@createwithkendra

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Spaces • Meals • Moments that feel like home
Nature-inspired + intentional design
Founder, @aseatinthekitchen
Feat. @homecookedmagazine @slaytheusa

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I’ve spent the last several months dreaming about this project, and today I finally get to share a little glimpse of it with you.

✨ Welcome to *A Seat in the Kitchen* ✨

A food, travel, and storytelling series where we pull up a chair with chefs, farmers, winemakers, and the people who bring us together around the table.

For our very first episode, I traveled to Yountville in the heart of Napa Valley to cook alongside Chef Phillip Moratin @phil_moratin at @northblockyountville. Together, we created a beautiful spring pasta featuring English peas, leeks, zucchini, lemon balm pesto, fresh pasta, and a dehydrated olive ricotta while talking about food, creativity, hospitality, and the stories behind the chef!

This series is about so much more than recipes. It’s about connection, gathering, travel, and celebrating the people and places that make life meaningful.

I truly hope you’ll pull up a chair and join me.

🍝 Watch the full episode now through the link in my bio!

If you love food, travel, chefs, wineries, beautiful destinations, and the stories behind them, I’d love for you to follow along as this journey unfolds.

❤️ Comment “SEAT” and I’ll send you the link directly.

#ASeatInTheKitchen #ChefPhillipMoratin #NorthBlockHotel #NapaValley #Yountville FoodTravelFreshPasta SpringPasta taken in North Block Yountville by @createwithkendra

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4 months ago

Meet Kendra Thompson ⁠✷ Homecooked, Issue 03: Monterey Bay⁠
⁠
“Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve tried to plant a garden,” Kendra Thompson said. “I like to joke that I create my recipes in the same way George Lucas makes his movies. I start with the characters—or in my case, the ingredients—and build the story around that.” Kendra, a former private investigator, is the founder of the Redwood Social Club, as well as a realtor, home decorator, and passionate cook. Read more about her sharp career change and the recipes inspired by her garden in Homecooked, Issue 03: Monterey Bay.⁠
⁠
Home cook: @createwithkendra⁠
Writer: @newberryjan⁠
Photographer: @azureeholloway⁠
Stylist: @trevorholloway taken in Monterey Bay by @createwithkendra

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a year ago

If you have extra sourdough discard, don’t toss it—turn it into cheese crackers. 🧀

These are ridiculously simple and SO good. Sourdough discard, cheddar, Parmesan, a little salt, and that’s pretty much it. Bake them low and slow until they’re golden, crispy, and crunchy enough to pull apart.

Such an easy way to use up extra starter—and honestly, they disappear pretty quickly around here.

Comment CHEESE CRACKERs and I’ll send you the full recipe!

#sourdoughdiscard #sourdoughdiscardrecipe #sourdoughcrackers #cheesecrackers #sourdoughstarter taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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3 days ago

A little garden saffron, fresh eggs from a friend, and a beautiful finishing touch. ✨

These deviled eggs combine a delicate saffron infusion with crème fraîche, Dijon and a spoonful of Imperia caviar. Creamy, savory, and such a lovely bite to share—though I could happily keep this plate to myself.

Thank you, @imperiacaviar , for the gifted caviar. taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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4 days ago

Apple Cider + Apple Butter Sourdough
🍎🍂
There are certain things I make once and immediately know they’re going to become a seasonal tradition… this is one of them.
🍎
Warm apple, cinnamon, apple butter, and sourdough all baked into one loaf—and somehow it’s even better than I imagined. The kind of bake that makes the whole house feel like fall.
🤎
Made with @northcoastorganic apple cider, one of my favorite ways to bring real apple flavor into fall recipes.
🍎
Want the recipe? Comment “APPLE” and I’ll send it your way! taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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11 days ago

A story worth knowing - Link in bio.

Kendra Thompson shares her story in Slaying San Francisco: A Life Built From Intention.

Read the full chapter on Substack.

#slaytheusa #slayingsanfrancisco #womensstories #womensupportingwomen
#sanfranciscowomen taken in San Francisco, CA by @createwithkendra

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15 days ago

Your next gathering needs a warm batch of sourdough biscuits on the table. @createwithkendra’s Sourdough Biscuits are flaky on the outside, soft in the center, and full of buttery flavor. 🧈

Comment ‘RECIPE’ to have the details sent to your DMs and keep tagging #feedfeed for a chance to be featured.

https://www.createwithkendra.com/recipes/flakey-sourdough-biscuits/

#sourdoughbiscuits #biscuitrecipe #breadbaking #sourdough by @createwithkendra

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18 days ago

Leeks are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with—they’re delicate, slightly sweet, and somehow pair beautifully with almost everything.

For my little spin on this French-inspired dish, I stand the leeks upright and bake them in a creamy white wine and thyme sauce with crispy bacon and plenty of Parmesan. They slowly become buttery and tender, with those golden caramelized edges that might be the best part.

And whatever you do, don’t forget the warm sourdough for dipping into all that sauce. Simple ingredients, cooked slowly, and absolutely delicious.

Comment “LEEKS” and I’ll send you the recipe. taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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19 days ago

Some dishes stay with you long after the last bite.

Sometime between 2008 and 2010, I had a pasta dish at @cafe_cruz that I have thought about ever since. I couldn’t remember every detail, but I remembered the richness, the subtle tang of mustard, and how beautifully it paired with steak.

So, all these years later, I finally recreated it from memory: ravioli tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce with toasted mustard seeds, Dijon, Parmesan, and cracked pepper, served alongside a perfectly cooked ribeye.

I have no idea if this is how they originally made it, but after one bite, I felt like I might have nailed it. ✨

Thank you, @cafe_cruz , for inspiring a dish I never forgot.

Comment “RECIPE” below if you want the full recipe, and save this one for later. taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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25 days ago

For the Fall Entertaining Issue, we joined Kendra Thompson of @CreatewithKendra for a garden-to-table dinner inspired by the ingredients growing just beyond her kitchen.

Heirloom tomatoes. Fresh basil. A one-pan roast chicken. Pear and basil olive oil cake. The kind of menu that feels distinctly early fall—and begins with what’s already in season.

Inside the issue, Kendra shares the full menu, every recipe, and the story behind the way she cooks and gathers.

Comment MAGAZINE and we’ll send you the Fall Entertaining Issue. 🍐🌿

@CreatewithKendra × @feteedit

fall entertaining · garden-to-table dinner · fall dinner party · seasonal recipes · tablescape inspiration · hosting ideas by @createwithkendra

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a month ago

If I were hosting the perfect fall dinner party, this would be the menu. 🍂🍷

The kind of dinner where the candles are lit, the music is low, something is simmering on the stove, and nobody is in a hurry to leave the table.

We’re starting with a Thyme for Fall cocktail and warm rosemary sourdough with roasted garlic paired with creamy baked leeks with bacon + Parmesan, followed by my Autumn Glow salad and creamy French potato leek soup with chive oil + crispy leeks.

Then comes the main event: slow-cooked French beef bourguignon and potato dauphinoise.

And because a fall dinner party absolutely needs something sweet: apple cinnamon cookies with white chocolate drizzle for dessert. 🤍

It feels special without being fussy, cozy without being boring, and almost everything can be prepped ahead so you can actually sit down and enjoy dinner with everyone else.

🍂 COMMENT “FALL” and I’ll send you the complete menu + ALL of the recipes so you can recreate this dinner at home.

And SAVE this for your next fall dinner party taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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a month ago

Ricotta Gnocchi with Braised Beef 🍅🤎
Okay… I think I’ve officially been converted to an air fryer person. 😂

I’ve always been hesitant about air fryers because I’m really particular about the materials my food comes in contact with when I cook. So when I discovered the @cookmagnifique Combo Air Fryer + Multi-Cooker and saw that the food-contact surfaces are glass and stainless steel, THAT got my attention.

But what really surprised me was how much this thing can actually do. It has 12 different cooking modes — everything from air frying and baking to braising, slow cooking, steaming and even proofing.

First, a whole air-fried chicken. Then sweet potato fries. And once I realized how beautifully it cooked those, I wanted to see what else I could do.

So we went full comfort food.

I seared beef chuck, added wine and broth, and let it braise until it was fall-apart tender. Then I made little pillows of homemade ricotta gnocchi and finished everything with homemade heirloom tomato sauce from the garden, Parmesan and fresh basil.

Ricotta gnocchi + fall-apart braised beef + homemade garden tomato sauce = HEAVEN.

And being able to sear, braise, slow cook AND air fry with one appliance? @cookmagnifique, I get the hype now. 😂👏🏻

Comment “COMBO” and I’ll send you the full recipe for the homemade ricotta gnocchi + braised beef with all the Combo Air Fryer Info!

Save this one for a cozy fall dinner. 🍂🤎

#Magnifique #AirFryerRecipes #RicottaGnocchi #BraisedBeef #FromScratchCooking

Thank you again! I’m excited to hear what you think.

Kendra taken in Santa Cruz, California by @createwithkendra

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a month ago