Lulu
Photographer, writer, cookbook author, and founder of Secret Kiwi Kitchen — documenting life on the road through recipes, travel, photography, and stories.
Home isn't defined by one address.
Lulu is an American-born New Zealander whose Japanese and European heritage, together with a life lived across four continents, has inspired a lifelong fascination with the way food connects cultures, people, and places.
A photographer, writer, cookbook author, and food entrepreneur, she is the founder of Secret Kiwi Kitchen, an award-winning artisan food company launched in New Zealand in 2020 and now expanding into the United States.
Lulu is the author of Feasting on Flowers and the co-author of Real Thai Food and Thai Food Stories, to be published by Tuttle Press in June 2027.
Today, she continues to build Secret Kiwi Kitchen while documenting life on the road through recipes, travel, photography, and stories for A Table Called Home.
A Table Called Home
Because home isn't defined by one address. Sometimes it's simply the place where good food is shared, stories are told, and strangers become friends.
When the youngest of our three daughters Lila left for university in Wellington, New Zealand, my husband Noah and I made a decision that surprised even us. We sold our cars, gave away or stored most of our belongings, packed one suitcase, a carry-on, and a backpack each, and set off to slow travel the world while continuing to work.
For almost two years now we've been living more slowly, spending months rather than days in each destination. So far our journey has taken us to Moorea, the Cook Islands, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Galápagos, and Costa Rica.
Instead of ticking countries off a list, we've chosen to settle into the rhythm of everyday life. We shop at local markets, cook at 'home,' return to the same cafés until the baristas know our order, and discover the people, traditions, and recipes that make each place unique.
Of course, we miss our daughters and our family. Thankfully, they've joined us for parts of the journey, creating new memories around tables in different corners of the world.
That's really what A Table Called Home is about.
It's a collection of recipes, travel, photography, and stories gathered along the way. It's about finding beauty in everyday meals, discovering the people behind the food, and creating a sense of home wherever we happen to be—whether that's around our own table in a rented house or at a little neighbourhood restaurant we've come to love.
Because home isn't defined by one address. Sometimes it's simply the place where good food is shared, stories are told, and strangers become friends.
