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Hola!

Thanks for stopping by.

I am a writer, mostly about food. I live in Los Angeles and I’m a regular contributor to the food pages of The Los Angeles Times. I’ve written essays and feature stories for magazine and newspapers and I’ve authored and co-authored 19 cookbooks including New York Times best seller, The Cookie That Changed My Life, with chef legend Nancy Silverton, and my own Bowls of Plenty, a collection of recipes for food that is somewhat healthy, super delicious, and served in a bowl. I just finished a manuscript for a sixth book with Nancy Silverton to be published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2027. Stay tuned.

I’ve been nominated for three James Beard Awards. The third time = the charm, when Cubism Makes a Comeback, a story about (of all things) bullion cubes, which I wrote for the Los Angeles Times, was awarded Best Newspaper Feature Writing.

My feature stories and essays have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Saveur, The New York Times,Gourmet, and Bon Appetit, and other publications.

My email is carreno @ mac dot com. Please write! I love a worthy distraction.

Oh, and p.s. My legal name is Carolina. My published writing has the byline Carolynn. I answer to both.

Recent stories I’ve published in the

Los Angeles Times

This is the Ultimate Carrot Cake

(Here’s the recipe. You’re gonna love it, especially if you like a lot of frosting.)

Feel-Good Soups

(Three recipes for my go-to healthy soups! Italian Vegetable Soup, Lentils Soup, Broccoli Soup

The Best Chili You’ll Ever Make. (No, really.)

(HERE’S the recipe. )

AS AMERICAN AS… APPLE CRISP?

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (CRISP, CRUMBLE OR COBBLER, HERE’S THE RECIPES!)

CAESAR’S GREETINGS

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (HERE’S the only Caesar Salad recipe you’ll ever want or need.)

MORE >

Look! A very edited view of what’s happening with me, as seen on Instagram.

If you’re in SoCal right now 🥵, then you definitely need this! It’s a “water cocktail” consisting of ice, lime juice (lots!), and soda water in a salt-rinmed glass. Like a water margarita! Or the ultimate all natural electrol
As we glide into the Week of Giving Thanks, I’ll express mine— for having the opportunity to put my memories and experiences and of course the recipes that were born from them, on the page — the actual PAGE in this story that begins
The New York Times published an article this week about how Mexico City was the place for young American women to reinvent themselves. I’m glad I went to Mexico City before the post-pandy boom. I am fortunate to have family there. The article
My stepdad, who I met when I was three and referred to as my dad, died 10 years ago. I think it was today. Maybe yesterday. I just remember crossing the border and when I did, all my calls came rolling in. That was July 5. His caregiver had left a vo
I would never use the word “dump” unless I’m writing a recipe. But I wanted to acknowledge some highlights from April. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it bright. 💫
I don’t know what it’s like to be a mother, but I do know what it’s like to be a daughter. Last summer, under a pile of cumulative months of cognitive issues and caregiving exhaustion, I had dinner with my mom and a friend we know f
Nothing says Earth Day like a cake made with carrots pulled from Earth herself. This is based on my mom’s recipe, with orange 🍊 cream cheese icing, which I made throughout my childhood. I tripled the amount of carrots. 🥕 yes, an Earth cake if
Spent a wonderful couple of days one on one with my mom for her 87th birthday! The sweatshirt she’s wearing is one I made for her in 1989 — a family portrait with puffy paints! We read “The Tao of Pooh” in bed, watched a 4-hou
On Christmas night 34 years ago, I made a Caesar salad with my dad for our family, which included his six kids by three wives, and two of the wives. Today in the Los Angeles Times, complete with the best Caesar Salad recipe. (Link in bio.)
To you, this may look like an apple crisp crumble and cobbler story, but for me, it’s the brass ring nabbed on a long ride back to a life that I love, and back to myself. Ten years ago I left LA to move back to San Diego closer to my family of
My little Rufus died three years ago today. He’s still so alive in my memory. But I had to scroll so far back to get to the time he was with me; time is moving on. Mostly what I miss is the joy I felt seeing him joyous, which was often. ❤️ PS t
Here in Mexico, on Valentine’s Day, they say, “Feliz día del amor y amistad.” Happy day of love and friendship. I love this. How great to use this day to celebrate lasting bonds of all kinds and not put so much pressure into
Revisiting my life in Mexico City after an incredibly challenging, exhausting, and sometimes heartbreaking five months away. This was Day One, headed out to see if my tennis club would have me back. They did. Victory número uno.
Delivering The Cookie That Changed My Life, signed by @nancysilverton — to our friends at @chinofarms. Come! Get one for yourself or a holiday gift. And swipe right to see all the other unique handmade homegrown wonderfully soulful gifts you ca
Happy pub day, Nancy Silverton — The Cookie That Changed My Life— by the woman who changed mine.
Every year on his birthday, which is today, I used to tell Rufus, You can do whatever you want! And he said but I do whatever I want every day. So I said you can have whatever you want. And he said I have everything I want. So usually I took him on a
Happy International Dog day to all the 🐶 and all the indelible memories of dogs long gone, like my little @everybodylovesrufus. I used to think I’d gotten lucky to get the single best dog in the history of the world. I’ve since learned t
There are just some things you can’t plan for. They’re usually the best things. Like this band of five not random strangers that ended up being the highlight of my trip. One is my half-sister Iridia, who came down from Switzerland with he