She loves salt…he’s just plain salty. Welcome to Our Salty Kitchen!
Danielle is a bossy, wine-loving former event planner turned blogger, food stylist, and food photographer. She’s obsessed with food and probably requires an intervention. Danielle creates the recipes and lots of the photos you’ll find on our site.
Cameron is a sarcastic, IPA-drinking professional photographer and photo editor. He’s obsessed with cameras and film and probably requires an intervention. He takes all of the *really* good photos you see on OSK, and he’s also lead dishwasher-emptier and chief trash-taker-outer.
We’re Washington, DC area transplants who found a new home in Frederick, MD in the summer of 2017. We live with our two kiddos (Cassian, who’s 10, and Asher, who’s 3), two cats, a towering collection of cookbooks, and a freezer stuffed with film.
Easy + Seasonal + Whole Foods
Let’s get REAL about real foods – and let’s do it together. We create easy, seasonal recipes from real, whole foods that are simply prepared. Delicious and nutritious doesn’t need to be complicated!
There is a misconception that whole foods are fussy, expensive, and time-consuming. And to that, we say “NOPE!” Delicious, fast, easy, and affordable recipes made from real foods are on our table every day, and we know they can be on yours too.
We believe that the food should shine, so you won’t find complicated cooking techniques or supplements you can neither pronounce nor source. The biggest investment we might ask you to make for a recipe is time.
We aim for balance in all things we do and prioritize the foods that help us support our local community, make our bodies feel great, and most importantly taste delicious.
Nutritious…Not Healthy
Here’s our dirty little secret – we’re not big fans of the term “healthy”. Healthy to us is probably pretty different than what’s healthy to you, and that’s okay. We’ve spent a lot of time listening to our bodies and fueling them with nutrient-dense foods that make us feel our best. You should feel the freedom and have the flexibility to do the same.
What we do subscribe to is a flexitarian diet approach by eating a wide variety of plants and some animals, with as many flavors and textures as we can get our greedy hands on. In the words of Michael Pollan “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” We eat the rainbow every day, and we want to help you do that too. The majority of our recipes can be classified as “clean”. We personally define “clean” as recipes made without white sugar and white starches, although sweet treats and cocktails do make appearances from time-to-time.
Browse through our archives and you’ll find recipes that fit a variety of dietary persuasions. Although we are veterans of the Whole30 program (6 rounds to date!), we cover a variety of dietary niches and it’s not because we’re schizophrenic eaters. We simply believe in nutrient-dense, flexible recipes that taste awesome, and that philosophy can’t be boxed into one single dietary accommodation. You’ll find the recipes and resources to whip up a delicious Whole30 dinner for your BFF on the program, a gluten free snack for your holiday party, or a veggie-packed pasta for the neighborhood potluck.
Local + Sustainable
We love food of all kinds. But we also have mad respect for both the environment and our local economy, and over the years that’s influenced our food philosophy. We call ourselves conscientious omnivores.
We buy the best quality, most sustainable, in-season foods that fit within our budget. For us, this means prioritizing pastured eggs, chicken and pork; grass-fed beef, milk and butter; wild-caught fish; homemade bone broth; and the “dirty dozen” organic produce. Everything else is fair game. You’ll find tips and tricks for maximizing a locavore mindset in practical ways and on a budget.
We love getting to know the people who make our food, so if you’re within 100 miles of Frederick, MD and would like to have a chat or collaborate, please get in touch (if we don’t find you first!).
As Featured In
We’ve been honored to have our recipes and photography featured in a number of publications, including, but not limited to the following.
More About Danielle
Danielle Esposti is the recipe developer, writer, food stylist, videographer, and photographer behind the recipe blog Our Salty Kitchen, featuring approachable, whole food recipes using seasonal ingredients. She is a graduate of Cornell University and holds dual degrees in Art History and Biology with a concentration in Nutrition.
Danielle launched OSK in October 2016 after “retiring” from a 10+ year career in food and beverage management and event planning, where she worked with celebrity chefs, Fortune 500 companies, and national non-profit organizations to bring their event visions to life.
Danielle is a self-taught home chef. She draws on her formal education in nutritional sciences as well as decades of home cooking experiences (both good and bad!) and her years of restaurant management to create simple but delicious real food recipes anyone can master. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Oprah Magazine, MSN, Shape, The Every Girl, Tasty, BuzzFeed, Pure Wow, Delish, and Brit&Co. Food styling clients include The American Diabetes Association, Callisto Media, and Grand Marnier, among others.
More About Cameron
Cameron Whitman is the photo editor behind Our Salty Kitchen. He also provides photography, videography, and back-end support. Cameron is a professional commercial, event, and stock photographer operating in the greater Washington, DC area. Clients include Bon Appetit, Tillamook, AT&T, Arena Stage, and countless local and regional theaters, restaurants, non-profit organizations, and businesses.
Cameron is a veteran stock photography professional and served as the Director of Artist Relations with Stocksy United, where he remains a founding contributing member. He prides himself on mentoring emerging and professional photographers in all fields and offers both one-on-one portfolio reviews and coaching services.
