FAQ

Got a question? Here are answers to my most frequently asked questions!

How do you pronounce your name?

I’ve been answering this question all my life!
Phonetically, Liren is pronounced: \ˈlē-ren\.
Or as I like to say, Lauren with an “i” or Kirin with an “L.”

Did you go to culinary school?

No, I didn’t! I have my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Once upon a time, I was a clinical psychology doctoral student, until I realized that therapy was not quite my thing. I decided to stop at the master’s level and return to my career in marketing research. Lucky for me, all the statistics came in handy when it came to analysis!

So, where did you learn to cook?

Well, I like to say that I first learned by eating! But really, learning how to cook was a budding passion that emerged out of necessity. Here is my story of how I came to learn how to cook. You can also check out my interview with The Dinner Special Podcast, where I chat more about my journey with cooking.

What one food can you not live without?

Not fair! Can we break that down? In the morning: Greek yogurt. In the afternoon: green tea. In the evening: mint tea. And a healthy sprinkling of chocolate, cheese and good wine in between.

Will you answer my email?

I read every single message and do my best to respond to each email. Due to the number of emails I receive every day, it may take a while, so, I encourage you to keep reading the FAQs below.

Products/Partnerships

If your question is regarding a product or project that is a good fit with the type of recipes and content I share here, I will get back to you as soon as I can!

Recipes

If you have a question about a recipe, please use the comment area of the blog post, that way we can all help our fellow cooks!

Just Saying Hi!

If it’s a super quick question or you just want to say hi, do email – I would love to hear from you – or try me on Instagram or Twitter!

Will you review my product? Can I send you samples?

While I do not guarantee reviews, I am always happy to share products I truly love. Please email me and tell me more.

Do you review cookbooks?

I do! I love sharing cookbooks that will resonate with my readers. If you have a cookbook or are about to release one, please reach out!

Can we work together?

Let’s chat! I love sharing what excites me in the kitchen and the stories about brands that I personally love. If you are a brand or PR firm and have questions or ideas on how we can work together, please see the partnership opportunities and email me.

Can I use your images/recipe on my blog/site/social media?

I appreciate your asking! I work very hard to create the content on this site, so please note that my images and content are copyrighted. Please contact me before you use my content. Here is what I typically ask:

Images

You may run an image (without alterations/cropping) with credit and link back to the full recipe. I ask that you send a link once it is live.

Recipes

Please do not copy and paste recipes for use on your site. If you recreate the recipe, either rewrite the recipe in your own words, or direct your readers to the post with the original recipe.

Do you accept guest posts?

Thanks for your interest, but I do not accept guest posts at this time.

What kind of camera/lens do you shoot with?

I’ve gone through many cameras over the years, but I am currently shooting a Nikon D810, typically outfitted with a Nikon 50mm 1.4 for the food photography you see here. Once in a while, I also like to dust off my 85mm, and if I am traveling, I sometimes lighten the load and use a Panasonic Lumix GX7. And of course, there’s also my iPhone! You can check out some of my most used equipment here.

I think I want to start a blog. What do you recommend?

Yay! That’s awesome! The one thing I must say is that if you want to start a blog, do it because you want to and feel as though you can’t live another day without trying. If your goal is to start blogging for business, it’s not to say that it can’t be done, but I honestly feel that you will go farther and blog longer if it truly is your passion. Blogging is a LOT of work, more than most people can imagine (or even acknowledge), but as long as you are doing what you love, good things will come of it. And when you do start it, drop me a line to let me know so I can pay you a visit!