Welcome! I’m Lee Clayton Roper, a cookbook author, food blogger, and enthusiastic home cook who’s all about making cooking and entertaining at home easy, elegant, and fun.
With a skillet in one hand and a story in the other, I blend my Southern roots with a Colorado twist to create recipes that are warm, stylish, and steeped in family tradition. From bourbon-sautéed mushrooms to pimento cheese party bites, my dishes are made for sharing – whether it’s a weeknight family dinner or a special celebration. I’ve always had an eye for presentation (we eat with our eyes first, after all), a deep love for community, and a belief that the meals we make at home can be both meaningful and memorable. (And yes, there’s usually a martini close by!)
Where It All Began
I learned to cook from my mother Sally, a gifted home gourmet who believed that food should be made with care and shared with love. Our time together in the kitchen shaped not just my skills, but my entire approach to life around the table. I hosted my first dinner party at 16 – and I’ve been planning menus, creating and testing recipes, and setting tables ever since.
The Cookbooks That Started It All
My love of cooking led me to co-author my first cookbook, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®, with my mom. Published in 2009, it’s a heartfelt collection of more than 180 recipes, creative menus, beautiful photos, and treasured memories of cooking and entertaining together. I’m especially proud that the book received the Living Now Book Award Gold Medal for Best Cookbook, an honor that recognized not only the recipes, but the spirit behind them.
In 2015, I released Fresh Tastes, the next chapter in the Seasoned Kitchen collection, featuring over 170 fresh, flavorful recipes, vibrant photography, cooking tips, and personal stories. It, too, was widely recognized and received multiple honors, including the Living Now Book Award Silver Medal for Best Cookbook, and other national awards for both content and design.
“I’ve been smitten with A Well-Seasoned Kitchen … beautiful pictures and … recipes are easy to follow, finely tuned and brightly flavored.”
— Amanda Faison, 5280 Magazine
“From a family meal to a dinner fit for guests, Lee Clayton Roper’s recipes are creative, seasonal and approachable for home cooks of all tastes and skills.”
— Kimberly Lord Stewart, Denver Life Magazine
Sharing Recipes and Inspiring Others
Over the years, I’ve become a trusted resource for readers and friends looking for recipes they can count on—whether they’re feeding two or hosting twelve. My goal is to help you feel confident in the kitchen, with food that’s approachable enough for every day and special enough for company.
My recipes, menus, and cooking advice have been featured in numerous local and national publications, including Woman’s World, The Denver Post, 5280, Colorado Expression, Colorado Springs Gazette, Orange County Register, Maine Food & Lifestyle, and more.
I’ve also shared my approach to cooking on TV and at culinary events, including The Hallmark Channel, KWGN Daybreak, 9News Denver, Good Day Atlanta, Good Day LA, Good Day Colorado, and Vail TV8, and at various events including Taste of Colorado, Denver Food & Wine, and Cherry Creek Food & Wine.
Speaking from the Heart
One of the most meaningful parts of my work is sharing the story behind my first cookbook, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®, which I co-authored with my mother during the final years of her life. What began as a personal project quickly became something much more – a way to connect, to create, and to preserve not just our favorite recipes, but also her wisdom, her humor, and the stories that shaped our family.
I speak to groups of all sizes about the power of food to bring us together across generations. In those last years with my mom, the cookbook gave us a shared purpose – something joyful we could work on together. I’m so grateful we had that time, and that project. It gave me lasting memories, stories that would have been lost, and recipes that continue to nourish not just the body, but the heart.
More unexpectedly, it gave me clarity. What started as a labor of love revealed something new within me: a calling to cook, to tell stories, and to help others find joy and connection around the table. That cookbook became the turning point that led me to this next chapter in my life and career.
I’ve since delivered keynote addresses at events like the Christian Living Communities’ annual fundraising dinner and the Assistance League of Cincinnati’s author luncheon, where I share this story – and the message that it’s never too late to begin something meaningful, or to discover a new part of yourself.
My First Career (Yes, Really)
Before fully immersing myself in the culinary world, I built a career in the cable television industry. I held senior executive positions with Charter Communications, United Pan-Europe Communications (a Liberty Global subsidiary), Rifkin & Associates, and United Cable Television. I also worked as a global consultant, advising cable operators and programmers on marketing, product development, and strategy. That experience has shaped much of how I’ve built and shared my culinary work today.
Culinary Professional Affiliations
- International Association of Culinary Professionals
- Les Dames d’Escoffier International – Colorado Chapter (Past President)
Culinary Awards & Recognition
- A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®
- 2010 Living Now Book Award, Gold Medal
- Fresh Tastes
- 2015 Best Cookbooks, Knoxville Mercury News
- 2016 Living Now Book Award, Silver Medal
- 2016 National Indie Excellence Award, Best Cookbook
- 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award, Best Home Book
- 2016 da Vinci Eye Award, Best Cover Design
A Bit More About Me
I live just outside Grand Lake, Colorado, near the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m married to my wonderful husband, Robert – my biggest cheerleader, recipe tester, and sounding board. Together we share a love of great food and wine, the outdoors, and our two Lagotto Romagnolo dogs (a truffle-hunting breed from Italy with big personalities and even bigger hearts). I also have two grown stepsons and one daughter-in-law who keep life full and fun.
Let’s Stay In Touch
Whether you’re looking for your next favorite recipe, planning a dinner party, or searching for fresh inspiration in the kitchen – I’m so glad you’re here. I hope you’ll find ideas that bring ease, joy, and a little something special to your table.
Fresh Tastes
Fresh Tastes, the follow-up to Lee’s critically acclaimed cookbook A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®, features a unique collection of recipes chosen for their flavor, reliability, accessible ingredients, ease of preparation and sophisticated presentation.
Follow Us
Lee speaks publicly to both large and small groups, delivering motivational keynotes about her experiences, both in and out of the kitchen. She is passionate about making cooking and entertaining uncomplicated and accessible, to inspire more time around the family table. She was the keynote speaker at the Christian Living Communities annual fundraising dinner and also one of four featured authors at the Assistance League of Cincinnati’s annual luncheon.
Lee’s professional career prior to immersing herself in the culinary arts was in the cable television business. She held senior executive positions with Charter Communications, United Pan-Europe Communications (a Liberty Global subsidiary), Rifkin & Associates and United Cable Television, and consulted with cable TV operators and programmers around the world, providing marketing, new business development and strategic planning advice. Lee has relied heavily on her marketing and product development skills in the creation and promotion of her current endeavors.
Memberships:
- International Association of Culinary Professionals
- Les Dames d’Escoffier International Colorado Chapter (Past President)
Awards:
- 2010 Living Now Book Award, Gold Medal (A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®)
- Best Cookbooks of 2015, Knoxville Mercury News (Fresh Tastes)
- 2016 Living Now Book Award, Silver Medal (Fresh Tastes)
- 2016 National Indie Excellence Award, Best Cookbook (Fresh Tastes)
- 2016 Eric Hofer Book Award, Best Home Book (Fresh Tastes)
- 2016 da Vinci Eye Award, Best Cover Design (Fresh Tastes)
Connect with Lee:
Facebook.com/seasonedkitchen
Youtube.com/user/seasonedkitchen
pinterest.com/seasonedkitchen
twitter.com/seasonedkitchen
linkedin.com/lee-clayton-roper
instagram.com/seasoned_kitchen