Atara Bernstein
Writer, Home Chef, Community Builder, Food & Brand Storyteller/Marketer
What a fabulous treat! Days before my birthday earlier this spring, I had the pleasure of sitting down with writer, home chef, food & brand storyteller/marketer, Pineapple Collaborative founder, and angel investor of brands like FishWife, Atara Bernstein. Safe to say with those credentials, she is more than well acquainted with the food industry at large, and has walked the walk when it comes to setting the standard for the many boutique pantry staple brands.
But the way I personally found Atara was through TikTok, which led me to her newsletter ATARACOOKS where Atara makes food, recipe building, and cooking a respite from the fast-paced nature of content consumption. It’s a space where she prioritizes storytelling and building community through food, with a special focus on the food of her heritage: Jewish cuisine with fresh sensibility.
“[On making Shabbat dinner with her mom growing up]: “She would tell me stories about different recipes she was making, so I had the narrative and storytelling aspect of engaging with food. And then there was the hospitality and hosting and gathering – inviting folks from the community in. It shaped the way I think about food now and the way I want it to be a throughline in my career and creative life.”
Something Atara did a wonderful job of honing throughout our conversation is punching up the importance of becoming thoroughly entrenched and involved with the world that encapsulates your given creative niche. Yes, Atara is a home chef, food writer, and founder of a food brand, but she is also involved in shaping the identity of other food brands on a business level, affording her a 360 understanding of the industry she is steeped in. It’s good practice, and frankly it’s smart business. As many creatives know, being an artist, especially of the entrepreneurial or freelancing capacity, requires ingenuity, business acumen, and scrappiness. It is important to identify what your skills are outside of your creativity and how to leverage them to create value outside of your own work; It makes you a more thoughtful and nuanced creative and it also allows you to sustain that creativity.
In addition to being whip smart and creatively brilliant, Atara (to the surprise of no one) has excellent taste. Her uniform, particularly in the summer? A breathable, organic linen set.
My style is functional and grounded—rooted in earthy neutrals, natural textures, billowy shapes, and a love for vintage. I gravitate toward pieces that feel worn-in, flowy, and made from natural fabrics. Nothing too loud, but everything feels like me. I lean into cozy minimalism that’s practical and comfortable, but never without character. My clothes need to let me move and chase a toddler, make yummy things, keep my hands free, and always be ready to find good bread.
And her essentials, as chic as you’d expect from a chef this cool:
Tahini
Voice notes
Microplane
Chore jacket
Appointed notebook
You can read Atara’s work and peruse her wonderful recipes in her newsletter ATARACOOKS and word about her upcoming projects is best found on her Instagram.