Beyond Girl Dinner is a creative project that grew out of the recipes section once featured on Smiling Leo. What started as a place to share good food has evolved into an intimate cooking show about rediscovering the simple joy of making a really good meal.
Set inside Michele’s cozy apartment in the Appalachian Mountains, Beyond Girl Dinner invites you into the kitchen to cook, experiment, slow down, and enjoy the process of making something delicious.
There’s no enormous studio kitchen, army of assistants, or expectation of perfection. It’s real cooking in a real home—with good ingredients, pretty dishes, occasional mistakes, and the belief that making dinner can be one of the nicest things you do for yourself.
The name Beyond Girl Dinner is a little tongue-in-cheek. Girl dinner has its place. Sometimes a handful of crackers, cheese, fruit, and whatever else happens to be in the refrigerator is exactly what the evening calls for.
But sometimes you want to go beyond girl dinner. You want to turn on some music, pour something good to drink, pull out the nice plate, and actually cook.
Beyond Girl Dinner is a reminder that you don’t need a special occasion to make beautiful food, set the table, or create a little atmosphere for yourself.