Welcome to Yin and Yolk!
I’m Leili, and I love getting messy in my kitchen and telling you all about it.
I’m a baker at heart, with an insatiable sweet-tooth. Smooth dark chocolate, hot fudge sundaes, and warm brown butter are a just a few of my favorite things. I love them almost as much as I love the combo of sweet and savory – chocolate covered prosciutto is a real thing, guys. And it’s amazing.
I started this blog in 2014 with my blog-wife Wei. In 2016 she handed me the reins so that she could focus on her career. Don’t worry though, she may still pop in now and again (you can read her bio below).
Wei and I met while working at Flour Bakery + Cafe in Boston back in 2012. Between mixing cookie doughs and tackling lunch rushes, we realized we shared a love of creating great food and dishing about boys, and became quick friends. Eventually we both left Flour to pursue different passions, but it will always have a special place in our hearts.
We started Yin and Yolk in 2014 to share our passion for cooking and baking with all of you. Having different approaches to food, we wanted this space to reflect the balance we provided each other. You’ll find recipes here that are wholesome and natural, with some that might stretch your waist-band.
One thing is for sure: the food will be made with ingredients you’ll feel good about eating, and will be 110% delicious.
I’ve been an amateur (read: sporadic) runner for about four years now, and it has totally changed the way I see food: not only is food a cultural and creative medium, but it is literally fuel for your body. And I just love finding ways to make that fuel the tastiest it can be. Really, I just believe in feeding your body what it wants to eat, whether it wants a fudgy brownie or a green leafy salad. Natural, minimally-processed foods are the ones that make our bodies feel and work best, but brownies are good for the soul. That’s a fact. So if you want the best of both worlds, you’ve come to the right place.
I was born and raised in New England, but I grew up surrounded by a mishmash of Middle Eastern, Latin American, and French cultures and cuisines. Big family dinners were frequent and delicious, and I blame my parents for sparking in me an obsession with food. In high school I started really experimenting in the kitchen, and by the time I got to college I had become that weird girl who baked her own bread every week.
I prematurely left college and got an internship at Flour Bakery. It was both the most terrifying and the best decision I’ve ever made. I earned my place by zesting a gazillion lemons, and eventually got hired as a fully-fledged baker. I spent over a year there learning as much as I could about all kinds of pastries and breads, and eating more than my weight in butter. Finally, I knew it was time to go back to school so I could figure out what I was doing with my life. I may be taking a break from the baker life for now, but my heart will forever belong to the land of cookies and cakes.
A lot of my recipes will be pastry or baking-related, but I’ll have a few savory ones for you too. And while I eat pretty much everything, I do love a challenge – so I’ll be throwing some vegan and gluten-free baked goods in the mix!
Let’s Play!
If you’d like to work with me, shoot me an email at [email protected], and always feel free to reach out if you have any questions or comments (or if you’re in need of some Boston restaurant recommendations). I’d love to hear from you!
I am open to doing sponsored posts, but I will only work with products and equipment that I truly love. I will always disclose which posts are sponsored, and my opinions will always be my own. I often link to cookbooks or products that I’ve used to create a recipe, and in some cases these are affiliate links. I will only link to an outside source when I think it would help you.
Media Info
Logistically speaking, all pictures and recipes are our own unless otherwise stated (the photo below was taken by Amelie Ansari). Both our cameras are Nikon D3000 series and we shoot in natural light. If you’d like to use our pictures or recipes, go for it! Just please attribute them properly.
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Wei here.
Some of my earliest memories were of me playing with refrigerator magnets in the kitchen so my mom could keep a close eye on me. My mini-self really enjoyed watching her scatter around and quietly hum while she prepared dinner. Mostly, I think I was just in her way, but it made our kitchen my home.
When I was a wee thing, I disliked being fed. Honestly, I thought the poor souls were a little too slow and gentle with my food. I liked to take over and stuff my own face, even if it meant some minor injury. Once, I leapt off my chair during dinner (while being fed) and repeatedly screamed the famous words, ‘FEED MYSELF!!!’ My mom had to obey. (Almost all of my childhood stories involve food.)
I’ve been scrambling raw ingredients together since my mom taught me how to fry an egg – there were some weird ones in there but I’ve never had shells in my eggs. I’ve always cooked, but I didn’t realize that I cooked more than most people until my friends started pointing that out to me. Once I learned how to make simple meals for myself, I gradually understood the importance of food and became increasingly aware of what makes a dish a treasured recipe.
My background is in fine arts and design, but that was taking a backseat while we got creative with our blog baby. Art and design are still a big passion of mine and I endlessly seek that creativity and aesthetic whenever I dream of something to make in the kitchen.
Whenever I get a quiet moment to myself, you can usually find me walking aimlessly on the streets with a hot London Fog in hand. Otherwise, I am either binging on Netflix or YouTube beauty videos.
Many of my recipes were inspired by my food crushes, but most of them are my own funky, original ideas. If you’re a brave soul and try one of them, please let us know so I can congratulate you and offer you one of Leili’s baked goods. I’ll see you on the other side of the plate!
– W.