About

Unpeeled Journal goes beyond the usual food blog. Here, we explore all things edible to empower and inspire experienced chefs, enthusiastic foodies, amateur home cooks, and everyone in between. Here’s what you’ll find:

• Recipes: Tried and true recipes for every occasion and every skill level
• How-Tos: Cooking and baking tips from a pro
• Features: Travel dining guides, in-depth articles, interviews with women in food, and more
• The Food + Grief Project: Resources and writing exploring the connection between food and grief

Meet Lisa Kolb Ruland, the creator of Unpeeled Journal. Lisa was a lawyer in a Bronx criminal court. A few years later, she swapped the suit for an apron and earned a degree in baking and pastry from the Culinary Institute of America.

She soon began working in some of New York City’s top bake shops, creating extravagant wedding cakes and mixing cookie dough in a hot tub-sized mixer. Eventually, Lisa found her happy place in food writing.

Then, in 2014, the unthinkable happened. Lisa found herself widowed as a newlywed. Her experience as a young widow led her to find solace through cooking and writing — while exploring the deep and complex entanglement of food and grief. Unpeeled Journal is Lisa’s outlet, community, and love letter to cooking, baking, and food.