Hi! I’m Ali, and I am so happy that you found your way here.
I created Gimme Some Oven to celebrate life around the table, with recipes that are simple, fresh, and full of flavor. With two littles underfoot these days, I know how relentless the dinner grind can feel. My hope is that this space can offer a bit of inspiration for everyone — and make everyday cooking feel a bit more fun.
So whether you’re throwing together a quick weeknight dinner, hosting a cozy brunch with friends, or just craving a warm batch of cookies, I hope you’ll find recipes here that feel doable and delicious.
Cheers!
About Ali
About Me
When I began Gimme Some Oven back in 2009, I was working full-time as a musician by day and spending my evenings cooking, photographing, and sharing recipes just for fun. Over time, that creative outlet grew into a full-time career — and for more than a decade now, I’ve had the absolute joy of writing and developing recipes here on Gimme Some Oven.
Even after all these years, it still feels like magic to create a recipe in my kitchen and see it come to life on tables all around the world! Your trust in my recipes means the world to me, and I work hard to make sure each one is thoughtfully developed, thoroughly tested, and truly worth making — the kind of recipe you’ll want to return to again and again.
Beyond the blog, my husband and I are now settling back into life in Kansas City with our two young boys after spending six wonderful years living in Barcelona. My favorite things include sunny days, an excellent plate of nachos, lingering around tables with good friends, and always dreaming up our next adventure. I occasionally share more about life behind the scenes here if you’d like to follow along.
About Gimme Some Oven
So what kinds of recipes will you find here?
Short answer: a bit of everything.
The recipes I share here are the ones we’re actually making and eating in our home. My husband is pescetarian, our boys are still a bit veggie-suspicious, and I enjoy a wide range of foods — so our meals reflect that mix. We do our best to cook seasonally, and most weeknights are all about quick, flavorful recipes that come together in 30 minutes or less. But I also love slowing down on the weekends with a cozy cup of coffee and baking our favorite 1-Hour Cinnamon Rolls, or inviting friends over for a big pot of chili with homemade guac and margaritas.
You’ll notice here that we’ve got a soft spot for Mexican food, big bowls of soup, noodles in all forms, and cookies of just about every variety. While most of my recipes lean fresh and lighter, you’ll also find your fair share of fun treats and comfort food favorites — we’re all about balance!
My hope is that you’ll find recipes here that work well for real life, whatever that looks like for you right now. And if there’s ever a recipe you’re craving, I’d love to hear from you!
My Favorite Recipes
FAQs
I can’t take the credit. 😉 The name actually came from my former bandmate, Jay, who tossed it out during a rehearsal years ago when I mentioned I was thinking about starting a food blog. It made us all laugh — and it stuck! Now it feels like a fun little reminder of my past life as a full-time musician.
You bet! Every single one of the 2000+ recipes on this site has been developed and tested in my own kitchen. I now have a team of recipe testers who join me each week to test old and new recipes to help ensure they are as clear, reliable, and delicious as possible. We want each recipe to be the best it can be when it reaches your table!
The best way to ask about substitutions is to leave a comment on that specific recipe post. That way, we’ll be sure to see it, and other readers can benefit from the answer too.
Yes! We’re constantly retesting, updating and rephotographing older recipes to make sure they’re as reliable and delicious as possible. Whenever we make a significant change, we do our best to note it clearly in the recipe notes so that you know what’s been updated.
No. We made the decision back in 2018 to stop publishing sponsored content on Gimme Some Oven. While we were grateful to partner with brands we genuinely loved in the past, it’s important to us that readers know all product mentions are now completely unpaid — just things we personally use and recommend.
This is probably the most-asked question we receive. Sorry, not yet! I keep putting it off, but someday I look forward to finally writing one. 💛
Giving Back
While we love creating and sharing recipes here, we also recognize what a profound privilege it is to have consistent access to fresh food, clean water, and a safe place to gather around the table. Not everyone has that — the statistics are sobering, and they remind us how important it is to keep working toward change.
That’s why we donate a portion of our profits to support three organizations working to fight food insecurity and expand access to nutritious food and clean water around the world. Every time you visit this site, your pageviews directly help support that work too, and we’re so grateful. We’d love for you to learn more about these incredible organizations and consider supporting them in whatever ways you can too.
It’s our hope that this space not only inspires delicious meals, but also plays a small part in supporting communities far beyond our own kitchens.
TWP is a community-led initiative in Mali focused on developing economic opportunities for women through organic food production, access to clean water, and a commitment to environmental stewardship.
Cultivate Kansas City is a locally-grown nonprofit working to grow food, farms, and community in support of an equitable, sustainable and healthy local food system for all.
World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Searching for salsa recipes and found your blog. Love it.
Thank you for sharing❤️
Hi Ali,
I came upon your website googling for sun-dried tomatoes and ended up looking at the recipes coz I really liked the name gimmesomeoven. After reading about three or four recipes it was while I was finishing the gazpacho recipe that I saw your picture and realized something. Quickly going to your about section I had my doubts answered. My name is Tojo, I’m from India. I am Toby’s older brother. He has spoken about Barclay, you, your food blog many times, and also about you guys showing them around on their trip to Spain last year. So strange to accidentally come up on your site this way. Anyway, great site, great recipes. Can’t wait to try a few starting with the gazpacho.
Please excuse me, this has nothing to do with food, and hope you will tolerate this dissertation. I got your site from a dear friend, Mimi, who knew you from COR in OP, KS. I am also a KS bred girl. My daughter and I have taken mother/daughter trips since she was 16, she is now 35. We have been fortunate enough to travel abroad, but mostly iconic or non-iconic placed in the US. When she was at K-State; she studied in Orvieto, Italy and I spent Spring Break with her (speaks volumes about her old soul and character to spend time with her mom). As of 3 years ago, I have a daughter-in-law, born in Honduras, moved to US when she was 9, gained US citizenship and married my son, he scored big with that one. For the first time, she is joining us. She wants to go to Spain and bonus is fluent in Spanish. Now to the crux (finally you say..). We had considered going in Sept of this year, but feel that the COVID climate would not support, and should wait until next Spring. What is the climate and do you agree? We got stuck in New York transit strike in ’05 and felt like it was part of the adventure.. In addition my wanting you to have background on our endeavors to assure we are not looking for a place to stay, no one to cook for us, ONLY your guidance on the country and atmosphere. Not stalking, don’t expect to meet you or your pups. :) Thank you for wading though this request. Have a super rest of your summer!
Ali,
I have tried your recipe for Arrabbiata sauce and Marinara sauce and they have been both popular with my family. I like your recipe for simplicity and at same authentic for what it stands for it. Next I am looking forward to try your Gazpacho recipe. I have added my own twist to your recipe with good results and at the same are healthy. Don’t be afraid to use butter and olive in your recipe, they are both healthy in moderation and lot better than carbohydrates and pure cane sugar or fructose.
I am physician Radiologist and cooking and making wine are my hobbies that I have explored for last 10-15 years. I have visited many vineyards of the world and on occasion cooked with chefs in Italy and France. My ultimate interest is to pair food with different wine and explore possibilities. I thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have a new fan in Indiana, a transplant from India.
Thanks and best regards, Shodhan Patel, M. D.
I am very impressed with your recipes! I just found your website looking for a salmon taco recipe. They seem easy enough! I never leave comments on any site but I am very impressed with you and your history.
I will be praying for you and your husband regarding your infertility. I haven’t been to your instagram site but i know how challenging that could be.
Thank you for your recipes
Take care
Imee
Hi Ali,
Your story leading into the recipe pulled me in! During COVID, we are running a little low on food varieties, with frozen chicken and a few other items, I decided to make chicken fried rice. Now this is about the 100th attempt, and they were all failure up until now. I too, fell in love with Chicken and/or Vegetable Fried Rice while in college. I was an XC and Track runner at VA Tech, with little money, the Chinese Food was the best bang for the buck. I fell in love with it. Well, at age 52, I love to cook, however, I had given up on Fried Rice. Tonight I was inspired and stumbled upon your recipe through a Google Search. Your personal story hooked me about your passion for this meal (parallel to my love for it). My greatest failure was simply never cooling the rice!!! Nasty Starch balls with vegetables. I love to cook so I actually had the Oyster Sauce, Soy, and Sesame that you called for, as well as all the other ingredients. It was a huge success and I can’t thank you enough. My 19 year old son devoured nearly 3 lbs of the meal. Luckily I made a large batch, along with the chicken. Thank you! I hope you and your husband are enjoying Spain! My wife and I loved the Flamenco Guitar and Dancing in the theaters with the wonderful Catalonians. Keep up your great work!!
Hello Ali,
A friend just sent me your information because I have embarked on making the best lemon sorbet on the planet and she knew you had one!
We spent a month in Spain a year ago and I loved everything about Barcelona. Since I was raised in Santa Barbara, California I felt at home. And, I loved the hustle and bustle of life there.
I look forward to being on your journey with you.
Thank you,
Wendy
We clicked on your site because you titled your mole sauce, “holy mole sauce,” and your website, “gimmesomeoven,” and we’re word nerds. We were in! Glad to be here and thank you for sharing your travels, life and food with us.
Hello ALI!
Well….this site took me down a rabbit hole I didn’t expect….
Searching for beef jerky and stumbled on yours…then checking the other recipes I found myself doing “open in new tab” a billion times and then Pin, Pin, Pin, Pin.
I can’t wait to start in on the recipes.
But first…..JERKY!
(I’ll have to come back and check out the Barcelona move….)
I loved it! And what a great life you have I luv your two doggys!!!!!???- Love,Alexa
Oh! How happy am I that I found your site.
During quarantine I have made your:
Shrimp tacos
Lasagna
Flour tortillas
Key lime pie
Chicken carnitas
All have been a hit!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and talents with the world.
XS
Syracuse,NY