M E + N E W L A N D E A T S

Hi! I'm Malena:)

Unlike many, my fascination with cooking didn’t come from growing up in a kitchen full of incredible meals. My parents weren’t particularly passionate about food — dinner was more of a daily obligation than a source of joy (and I say this will all the love). Most nights featured some variation of minimally seasoned meat, a starch of some sort, and a vegetable, unfortunately neglected in its potential. But despite the blandness, there was always one thing that was constant: sitting down at the table together.

Some of my warmest, and occasionally not-so-warm, memories come from those nightly dinners. Where stories, laughter, arguments, and everything in between all happened around that table. That’s where I learned the real power of food: not just what’s on the plate, but what happens around it. It’s a common ground, a place where love, fights, friendships, confessions, heartbreak, and growth all unfold. That’s what I find so moving about food — the way it lets people experience the full range of emotions we all go through. And it was from that that my curiosity for cooking began.

NewlandEats started back in high school as a fun hobby — a space to share the recipes I was learning and experimenting with. After moving to Chicago for college and transitioning into post-grad life, I finally had the space and time to fully explore food.

Surrounded by the energy, diversity, and constant movement of the city, I became increasingly drawn to how food could bring people together in such a dynamic and expressive way. I became obsessed with developing recipes — constantly seeking inspiration in the motion of my everyday life. With all of my friends on different schedules, I craved moments of togetherness and found myself creating any excuse to host dinners, share a meal, and carve out space for us to pause, sit together, and share something. Cooking became more than just a creative outlet. It became my way of maintaining and forming connections with the people around me. That is what’s shaping NewlandEats: food as a tool for connection.

I build recipes around what’s in season, layering in playful flavors while keeping everything approachable and grounded. I want my food to feel creative and original, but never intimidating. It should be warm and welcoming, whether you’re the one cooking or simply sitting down to enjoy.

At the heart of how I approach food are the 3 Cs: Connection, Culture, and Community. Cooking has become something beyond just making something delicious. It’s about creating moments that bring people together, honoring where our food came from, and sharing something meaningful at the table.

Food is one of the most genuine bridges between people — connecting their stories, cultures, and ideas. It's something that goes far beyond just feeding people. It holds a deeply connective experience that’s both intensely personal and universally shared. It’s around the table — whether it’s the most exquisite, carefully crafted meal or the most mediocre one — where food quietly but powerfully deepens connection, shares culture, and builds a sense of community.

That’s what drives my cooking: a sincere desire to connect with people and learn a little more about the world and the people in it through every experience a dish can offer.