Chamber

We both love to cook while spending time with friends and family, so a gourmet kitchen store seemed to be the perfect match. Because we were both raised on family ranches in Elko County, we have a strong commitment to our rural community and to small business.

Cucina Fresca is located in the heart Downtown Elko and is proud to offer the most extensive collection of culinary tools, gourmet foods, and tableware for the kitchens of Northeastern Nevada.

Cucina Fresca is not a chain or franchise. We are a proud "mom & pop" store only to be found in Elko, Nevada.

Where did you grow up …  On a farm in Southern Illinois. Valmeyer, Illinois.

Where have you lived… Moved from Illinois to Northern Arizona, mostly at the Grand Canyon, then on to Buffalo, Wyoming and then to Elko!

How long have you been in Elko and how did you get here…I have lived here for two and a half years. We moved to Elko because my husband took a job here.

Favorite food or dish as a child…Probably spaghetti.  Home made or Franco American, I just loved spaghetti.         

Favorite dish to cook… Soups, stews and chiles.   I also do like to bake.

Favorite kitchen tool at Cucina Fresca… Probably  my  LeCreuset Dutch oven. It’s great for  soups, stews, and chiles.  I also like my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

Favorite restaurant… Good steakhouses.  Cameron Trading Post for the Green Chile.

Favorite thing about Elko…It’s  size. Not too big, not too small.

Favorite place to shop (other than CF, of course)…I like downtown shopping in smaller cities. (Where the downtowns have survived)  I also like TJ Max and Ross and those type places.

Favorite cookbook or cooking magazine…  My old reliable Fannie Farmer for all the basics.  I like Cook’s Illustrated and Saveur is fun to look at.

Where did you grow up … Kent, Ohio

Where have you lived…Virginia, Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, California, Arizona, Montana, Washington, North Carolina, and Nevada.

How long have you been in Elko and how did you get here…5 years. My husband is in the US Public Health Service, and we were transferred here from Tucson.

Favorite food or dish as a child… Chocolate Chip Cookies ( Home made, of course!)

Favorite dish to cook… Foccacia

Favorite kitchen tool at Cucina Fresca… Cusinart Mixer

Favorite restaurant… The Blind Onion

Favorite thing about Elko… reminds me of the small town my Grandparents lived in: Shinnston, West Virginia, when I was growing up.

Favorite place to shop (other than CF, of course)… Bella’s

Favorite cookbook or cooking magazine…Martha Stewart Living

Where did you grow up … all over  though mostly in Sigurd, Utah.

Where have you lived… I lived in Scipio, Fillmore, and Richfield, Utah; Hawthorne and McGill, Nevada; Kahoka, MO, and now here in Elko.

How long have you been in Elko and how did you get here… about a year.

Favorite food or dish as a child…My mom’s roast beef and English Trifle for dessert.

Favorite dish to cook… Mi Goreng. My sister-in-law from Indonesia taught me. It is a fried noodle with vegetable and either chicken or pork (usually). Very delicious.

Favorite kitchen tool at Cucina Fresca… I love to bake and make confections, so my favorites are the whole baking section! A great variety of everything I might need. I love it.

Favorite restaurant… At the moment, King Buffet.

Favorite thing about Elko… It’s large enough I can find everything I need at a fair price, but still small enough to feel homey.

Favorite place to shop (other than CF, of course)…Cedar Creek Clothing Company and Fashion Bug.

Favorite cookbook or cooking magazine… Rachel Ray Everyday, The Cooking Club, Joy of Cooking.

Where did you grow up …I was in Utah but I have lived in Elko the majority of my life!

Where have you lived… I have lived in Logan Utah, where I was born, I also lived in Mexico on a sailboat for a year, and Elko, of course!!

How long have you been in Elko and how did you get here…I have lived in Elko for 15 years. My family business brought my parents back and I just haven’t found a reason to leave.

Favorite food or dish as a child…I love a variety of foods but anything chocolate is my favorite!

Favorite dish to cook….Eggs benedict is my specialty but I also love to bake, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies!!

Favorite kitchen tool at Cucina Fresca…I love Kitchen Aide mixer!! They are so useful and make cooking and baking that much more enjoyable!!

Favorite restaurant…Chilis is always my favorite out of town eating destination spot but I love the local basque restaurants!

Favorite thing about Elko…The feeling that everyone knows everyone and although Elko is growing small town businesses are still a big part of the community!

Favorite place to shop (other than CF, of course)… I love to shop in stores that specialize in unique items. Anthropology is one of my favorites!!

Favorite cookbook or cooking magazine…I love to try family recipes from my Grandma’s cookbook!

Where did you grow up …Abilene, TX

Where have you lived… Minden, LA; Magnolia, AR and Hebbronville, TX. As a child, I lived in many, many small towns in Texas.

How long have you been in Elko and how did you get here…I moved to Elko/Spring Creek 14 years ago. I drove from Magnolia, AR with a truck and trailer, an Arabian stallion, an elderly Appaloosa, and a Rottweiler.

Favorite food or dish as a child…Chili.

Favorite dish to cook….Chili.

Favorite kitchen tool at Cucina Fresca…Staub Casserole.

Favorite restaurant…Lowake Steak House in Lowake, TX.

Favorite thing about Elko… It is close to the Ruby Mountains, where there are great trails to ride on. I came to Elko for the riding opportunities.

Favorite place to shop (other than CF, of course)… Healthy as a Horse, which sells equipment for endurance riding.

Favorite cookbook or cooking magazine…Cane River Cookbook

Where did you grow up…I grew up on a wheat farm in north central Montana, north of the city of Great Falls.

Where have you lived…I lived in the same area of Montana for the first 10 years after I was married where both of us were teachers.

How long have you been in Elko and how did you get here…  I have lived in Elko for 34 years.  I was offered the position of Library Director at what was then Northern Nevada Community College, now Great Basin College.

Favorite food or dish as a child … I think my favorite food was fresh creamed peas and potatoes out of the garden.

Favorite dish to cook… Pies and bundt  cakes.  Bundt cakes do not have to be frosted or decorated and can be made so special with different toppings.

Favorite kitchen tool at Cucina Fresca…  I have two favorite tools.  The first one is my Emeril fry pan while the second is the 12” bundt pan.

Favorite restaurant…   I love a really good Italian restaurant.  Nothing beats pasta with alfredo sauce.

Favorite thing about Elko…  The beautiful mountains and spectacular sunsets.

Favorite place to shop…  My favorite place to shop is Elko Floral, Fabric and Gifts.  Being a quilter means that I am in Elko Floral almost every day.

Favorite cookbook or cooking magazine…  I love to collect cookbooks but my favorite is the Farm Journal Complete Pie Book.  The series I use most of the time is Southern Living Annual Recipe