About - sofiacooking.

Hi, I’m Sofia Martinez

I grew up in the coastal town of Monterey, California, where life moved to the rhythm of the tides and the scent of garlic, fresh bread, and garden herbs drifted through every window. My earliest memories are of my mother Elena’s laughter echoing through the kitchen, and my Nonna Rosa’s hands gently shaping pasta on a flour-dusted counter. In our home, cooking wasn’t a task — it was a daily celebration of love, culture, and connection.

Food is the language of love in our family — spoken in simmering sauces, shared over worn wooden tables, and passed down from hand to hand. It connects generations, bridges cultures, and brings us back to the heart of home. But isn’t it something — how a pot of marinara takes all afternoon to make, disappears in minutes, and somehow leaves dishes that could last a lifetime?

By the time I was ten, I could make my grandmother’s marinara sauce by heart, and by twenty, I was gathering flavors across Italy and Spain, filling notebooks with recipes and stories. After studying at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, I returned to the rustic, soul-warming dishes that raised me — the kind that are simple, honest, and made to be shared.

SofiaCooking.com is more than just a collection of recipes — it’s my tribute to the generations of women who taught me that food is a way of saying “I love you.” Here, you’ll find comforting meals, heartfelt stories, and practical inspiration for busy home cooks who crave authenticity. Today, I cook in the same Monterey cottage I grew up in, alongside my daughters Olivia and Isabella, passing down traditions one delicious dish at a time.