Jo Cooks

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ABOUT JO

Last updated on March 13th, 2019 at 02:24 pm

ABOUT JO COOKS

Joanna

Welcome to Jo Cooks where you’ll find delicious, tried-and-tested recipes for every occasion made with every day ingredients! They all come complete with step-by-step photo tutorials, videos and detailed instructions, all to help you succeed in your kitchen.

Jo Cooks has been around since 2011 and it started out as a place for me to store my recipes that I’ve collected over the years from friends and family. Here you’ll find hundreds and hundreds of delicious recipes, so make sure to check out the Recipes section and browse all your favorites!

People ask me all the time, what sort of food I cook and blog about. The truth is, everything. I cook anything and everything, and well, we eat everything, and if my husband and I can’t eat everything, there are plenty of friends, family or neighbours who love to help us out. I, most of all, love simple recipes with few everyday ingredients that you can either find in your pantry, or are easy to find at your local grocery store.

ABOUT JO

My name Joanna Cismaru, Jo for short, and I am the brains behind my food blog, Jo Cooks. I’m a writer, photographer, cookbook author and most importantly, I’m the cook that prepares all these scrumptious recipes that you can find here. My husband Remo, is the other force behind this blog. He’s the taste tester, IT genius, accountant extraordinaire and last but not least, my biggest supporter and pillar of strength.

We also have a new pup, a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd and his name is Indiana Jones. He’s the cutest dog alive, yes I know I’m biased, and he’s super active and keeps us laughing all day long. Many times you’ll see me share pictures of him and his shenanigans. I also have a personal assistant, Nicole who is amazing and loves food as much as I do. Together we make up the Jo Cooks team.

Indiana Jones

As long as I can remember I’ve always loved to cook and putz around in the kitchen. I’m seriously passionate about food and I do consider myself a foodie! I love all food and I will always try everything at least once, well maybe except bugs. I won’t try bugs and cats or dogs! But everything else goes.

I am totally self-taught and have no formal culinary training but I have been cooking for over 20 years. I’ve learned from my mistakes because there have been mess-ups in the kitchen, but I think that’s what makes us stronger and better at what we do. I love Julia Child’s style of cooking but I love to simplify meals, so that they are more attainable for the everyday cook.

MY PREVIOUS CAREER

Lemon Chicken Piccata

Lemon Chicken Piccata – a simple yet super impressive chicken piccata in a tasty lemon, butter and capers sauce. Perfect with pasta for a quick and delicious dinner.

In my previous career, I worked in the IT world doing software development, and while I enjoyed it, it was quite stressful. To relieve some of that stress, I always turned to cooking and baking, thus discovering my latest passion, and so this new “so-called” career evolved.

I am totally self-taught when it comes to cooking, though I have to thank my mom for teaching me the basics. I must say that I enjoy baking more than cooking so you will find quite a few baking recipes here. While I’m not a fancy baker I do love my breads and rolls and the occasional cake or pastry.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

Coconut Shrimp Curry

FUN FACTS

I was born in Romania, Transylvania to be exact. My family moved here when I was just a child. While I can honestly say I’ve never met a vampire, I do love my garlic. Here you will also find some of my favorite Romanian recipes that have been passed down to me from my mom and mother in law.

My husband and I met online back in the 90s when online dating wasn’t even a thing. 18 years later we’re still happily married and together we’ve made all our dreams come true.

My all time favorite food is anything Italian like lasagna, pizza, any kind of pasta and bacon!

MY COOKBOOK

If you love my recipes and would like more of my creations, you can find my cookbook 30 Minute One Pot Meals available to order.

You can order my “30-Minute One-Pot Meals” book at:

30-Minute One-Pot Meals

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Comments

  1. Hi Jo I am cooking your loaded scalloped potatoes but the recipe says to cook at 400…. I am also cooking a ham at the same time which should be at 350… can I cook the potatoes at same temperature just a little longer??
    Thank you
    Just new to your recipes but they all look simply awesome!!
    Barb

    Reply

  2. For the past six months you have been my new best friend. After I suffered a heart attack in October I got tired of cooking the same old tired meals day-in/day-out. I spent a lot of time at home searching recipes for dinner ideas that my son and I might enjoy. I came upon your website and became an instant fan. Everything I cook turns out amazing. The recipes are easy to follow, the ingredients are in my pantry, and the results have earned me raves from my extended family and my picky-eater son. I look forward to receiving my daily e-mail recipe. My sister is now a fan of yours, and we have both recommended your website to our friends and family. Thank you for sharing your family’s recipes with us.

    Reply

  3. Good morning Jo I came upon a recipe that I had wanted to make and I cannot get the recipe to come up on my I Phone I was wanting to make the One Pan Chicken with Broccoli today I was wondering if you could help me to be able to get the recipe it looks awesome?!!!😊

    Reply

  4. Joanna – my family is from Bucharest and I’m craving my grandmother’s Romanian marble cake. Do you have a recipe you can share?

    Reply

  5. When I retired 14 years ago I started to cook. Wasn’t very good at it at first but over time I taught myself to be pretty good at it. Jo you have become my go to place for great recipes. Cooking just relaxes me. Not every new recipe are a success . My wife and I decide which are keepers. So far all of yours have been in that category. Chicken Caccitore is next.

    Reply

  6. Hi Jo
    I am going to make your no knead bread recipe, can it be made in advance, then frozen or refrigerated for a couple of days.

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried freezing the dough so I’m not sure how it will freeze since it’s so sticky. However, I think you should be able to refrigerate it for a couple days, but again I have not tried this.

      Reply

  7. Hi Jo,

    Wanted to let you know how much I love your recipes. I have tried several and they are note worthy as well as very tasty. I Especially loved your vegetable beef soup. I look forward to trying more. Monique

    Reply

  8. I haven’t purchased a cookbook in 30 years maybe more, but ordered yours. Maybe it’s the sound of your recipes. Maybe waxing nostalgic over our pure bred Blue Merle. He had a lightening bolt in one eye and I trained him to pick up the kids clothes and drop them in the laundry room. So, while you’re creating your dog can be picking up. I’ll check back in after I’ve tried a few things. Thanks for the recipes!

    Reply

  9. I had to share this comment with you. My 87 year old mothe- in-law is putting together a list of recipes for her family. It is not a list of her “cookbook”, but rather some of her favorite dishes to eat. On a vist last year, I made the Jacked-Up Chicken Scampi. She loved it so much, it is going in the book for the family. Great recipe that brings a smile to my familiy’s face when I make it, and now will live on in her book.

    Thanks for the great choices for quick and easy family meals and keep ’em coming.

    Reply

  10. I have a question regarding the salted caramel you used in your recipe for Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes. Is this the caramels individually wrapped in cellophane, or something different? I am thinking about making these, but I wanted to check on this. Thank you.

    Reply

  12. Hello Joana! PLEASE PLEASE put up a recipe of Placinte Poale-n brau cu branza dulce si stafide!!!! I just recently married a Romanian and I can’t get enough of their delicious food!!! Thanks so very much!!

    Reply

  15. My guy and I were wandering about Cost Plus World Market this afternoon. After selecting (I kid you not) a unicorn puppet for my sister-in law, he spotted your book from a distance and before I knew it, we had spent 20 minutes perusing your recipes. It’s as if this book was written for us and there was no way we were leaving the store without it. We mentioned our excitement about your book to the very nice cashier as we were checking out and she said, “Well, I know how I’m spending my break this afternoon!”

    Very nicely done, Jo and team! Your recipes look wonderful and the photography is outstanding. Our biggest challenge this evening is deciding which recipe we’ll make first. 😉

    Reply

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