My name is Courtney Fraley, a thirty-something veterinary nurse living in Chicago, Illinois. I created Faraway Kitchen as a space for people to escape through vegan cooking. I discovered my love of cooking vegan dishes from around the world and it led me all the way to the MasterChef kitchen! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to cook Gordon Ramsay a vegan fish n’ chips (let alone get a white apron for it) yet, here we are.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been engrained with innate desire for escapism. As a child, I would get lost in books in other worlds. As I grew up, I would get lost online, mapping imaginary routes around the world. I really didn’t care where I was going, I just wanted to go. Imaginary routes turned into living maps, as I jumped into my own fantasies. From saving bears in Vietnam to sleeping in the African bush tracking hyenas calls in the cold winter night… I have left my heart in so many places.
I always wondered what I would do if traveling was stripped away. The tangible escapism had always been a crutch in my identity. I discovered that I have the same joy getting lost in my kitchen, while cooking a goulash that transports me back to a dimly lit medieval cafe in central Europe.
…and I want to take you there. Let’s get lost cooking my favorite dishes from around the world.
Step into my magical little kitchen, and I’ll take you anywhere.
