Meet Ashley Rodriguez, The Allrecipes Cook Behind The Blog "Not Without Salt"

Cook to Follow: Ashley

This blogger, cookbook author, and Allrecipes Allstar is one of the 55 million home cooks who visit Allrecipes every month. Read on to find out more about her and her Kitchen Unnecessary project, and get her favorite no-bake cheesecake recipe.

In her own words:

I am: Ashley Rodriguez, 37, of Seattle (I grew up in nearby Bellingham, Washington).

I started my blog (notwithoutsalt.com) because I wanted to continue to fuel my passion for food and share it while raising my three young children.

My day job: Writer and photographer of all things food. I'm also co-creator and host of an outdoor-cooking video series called Kitchen Unnecessary, where we fish, forage, and hunt for our ingredients, then cook a feast, highlighting our finds, over the fire.

Who I cook for: Anyone who will come sit at my table.

If I could have a superpower: I would be Gratitude Girl. She's not invisible and can't fly, but she always sees the glass as half-full and is so damn grateful for it.

Obsessions: Cheeseburger potato chips (I've been able to find them only in Europe, but a friend just sent me a fresh stash), fly-fishing, and Sour Patch Kids.

In my fridge right now: Leftovers from a workshop I hosted, so they're really good. Fire-cooked lamb with roasted lemon and mint, pistachio pesto, and smoked vegetables in a Muscat vinaigrette. There's also a year-old sourdough starter waiting to be used.

Food discovery that changed my life: Black Italian truffles.

Favorite things to cook: Pasta. And anything cooked over the fire.

On my bucket list: Meeting Oprah and Richard Rohr, and cooking a meal over the fire that was completely foraged, hunted, or fished.

My rare talent that no one will pay me for: Collecting hats. It may not be much of a talent, and so far I've not received any money for it, but I'm really good at adding to my hat collection. (I've spent quite a bit!)

Best advice I ever got: Wherever you go, there you are. Also, follow your curiosity.

What few people know about me: My great-grandfather co-founded what is now known as Crescendo, a bicycle marching band based in the Netherlands.

Kitchen tool I can't live without: A very sharp knife. Oh, and a microplane.

My kitchen is: In need of an upgrade, yet it's my favorite space because it's where I'm my most creative. And I use it to love my family.

Best cook I know: Mataio Gillis from Ciao Thyme in Bellingham. He's the most humble and yet passionate cook I've ever met. We both fell in love with food in Italy, so his food speaks to my soul.

My signature recipes: My No-Bake Greek Yogurt Cheesecake (recipe below) and Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.

My secret recipes: I don't believe in secret recipes. Food is meant to be shared.

More about Ashley:

My happy place is my kitchen studio in Seattle. This is where I can create recipes and photos, and host dinners at our table for 14.

Adventuring with our three kids is my favorite. We rented an RV for a road trip from San Francisco to Sonoma.

I'm always looking out for wild ingredients to add to our next meal. Here, Ivy and I found some bright, crisp miner's lettuce.

Fredrich and Lillian, our two rescue pups, are part of the family. They're both some sort of terrier-dachshund mix.

My husband, Gabe, and I recently celebrated 15 years of marriage in L.A. where we lived when we were newly married.

Ashley shares her No-Bake Cheesecake recipe:

Get the recipe: No-Bake Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Why I love this recipe: My parents, Lynne and Gerald Baron, spend the gray months of the Pacific Northwest in sunny Southern California. My husband, kids, and I try to visit any chance we get, particularly in February and March when the gray feels like a forever friend. Recently, we found a new restaurant in their town. At the end of our meal, they brought out their Greek yogurt cheesecake. We cleaned our plates! I immediately started searching for the recipe. After I got back to Seattle, I ended up creating my own version of this tangy, creamy cheesecake that matched the one I now craved daily. I'm happy to unmask it for you here.

Check out more Recipes by Ashley.

This article originally appeared in the October / November 2019 issue of Allrecipes Magazine.