Hi there and welcome! I'm Nicole Branan, the cook and photographer behind The Spice Train.
I have been adventurous and creative in the kitchen ever since I can remember. But it wasn't until a decade or so ago that I started to learn about and experiment with spices. The more I learned, the more ideas I had. So, in 2013, I started this website to catalogue the dishes I came up with.
What readers are saying:
"This was so amazing that BOTH of my (adult) kids fought to scrape the bowl." -Chili Lime Aioli
"Your recipe was the best…first from scratch cake I ever made, turned out perfectly..!!!!! Easy to follow along. Thanks so much." -Chai Spice Bundt Cake with Rum Raisins
"A refreshingly excellent cake! I've fallen in love with cardamom over the past few years and this is an exemplary way to use it!!!!" -Lemon Cardamom Cake
"OMG!!!!!!!!!! So good!!!!!!!!!!! Next level, no, top level easy gourmet grilled cheese!" -Grilled Cheese with Bourbon Caramelized Shallots
"I would have doubled the recipe if I had known known how good these were!" -Roasted Lemon Basil Potatoes
"Omg….these pickles are the BEST!!!! They deserve more than 5 stars in my opinion." -Refrigerator Sweet Pickles with Cinnamon and Clove
Mentions around the web:
My recipes have been featured on Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Town & Country and Redbook. I also made the list of the 75 best food blogs in 2025 by Toast, Inc.
How often can you expect new recipes here?
I used to share most of the recipes I developed but in recent years I've become much more selective about what I post on this site. That's why you won't find new content very frequently here. I now only post a new recipe if I think it is absolutely top notch. That means you can be sure that anything that is published here is something I truly believe in!
How to contact me:
If you're interested in working with me or just want to say hi, send me an e-mail at nicole@thespicetrain.com!
Thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate your interest!