Our Mission
Maryim and I are very passionate about the environment. We love nature and want to do our part to conserve it. Our actions however did not always align with this passion and that is how this blog came about. Our mission is to make it easier for people to understand sustainable cooking and living. We want to show you how to incorporate sustainability into your lives conveniently and affordably.
We know that tons of people want to make a positive impact on the environment and live more eco friendly lifestyles but in our experience we find it can be very overwhelming with all the info out there. Not to mention it can get pretty expensive. We want to simplify the process and make switching to a more eco friendly and sustainable lifestyle a reachable goal without breaking the bank.
A little history about us
Hi Guys! Jonathan and Maryim here and we are the creators of Kapptaincook.com.
Here’s a little about us…
It was August 2019 when we first connected on a dating app called “Bumble”. Yup we are one of those! It was the middle of hurricane season in Fort Lauderdale, Florida when we decided to make a plan to go on our first date. With a Cat 5 hurricane named “Dorian” right on our doorstep that plan fell through and so did the next 3 plans that followed. It wasn’t until about a week later that we managed to meet face to face for the first time. We saw each other almost daily after that first meeting and have had an amazing adventure together ever since.
Hey there! I’m Jonathan..
I’m South African and I’m a qualified chef who loves nature, travel and being creative.
I started off in the music scene. During my high school years I was really into playing music. I was the lead guitarist to a “somewhat heavy” metal band which kicked off an 8 year career in the music industry. After high school I studied sound engineering and opened a recording studio a year later.
Music was and still is a passion of mine and I loved being able to play live music, record albums and put on music events. Unfortunately the music scene changed in a big way in South Africa and made it very difficult to make a living. Recording software was becoming mainstream and more affordable and professional recording studios took a big hit.
Teaching music became the next part of my journey and I loved it. Being a music teacher was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and so many of the lessons I’ve learned through that experience have stuck with me ever since.
However, it was in 2016 that I felt deep in my gut that I needed a change. I left music behind, packed up all my things and moved to the midlands in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa where I pursued a diploma in the Culinary Arts.
Although I didn’t realize it yet, I was able to merge my creative capabilities and love of nature into this newfound career path. I took on a job at a restaurant in South Africa which emphasizes the practice of sustainable cooking. I learned foraging skills, gardening, vegetarian and vegan dishes, plating techniques and everything in between. It completely opened my eyes to a new world of cooking and showed me how changing the way we cook can have a profound effect on the environment.
I hope to share that wealth of knowledge with people by using all the skills I have developed over the years in multimedia, content production, teaching and cheffing to make sustainability in cooking more accessible, understandable and doable.
Hi, Maryim here!
I love traveling, learning about new cultures, process improvement, gummy bears and puns. I’m a born and raised South Floridian although my family is from Costa Rica…cue bilingual upbringing.
In 2012 I completed my undergrad at the University of Florida studying Anthropology. I was always fascinated by ancient Greek mythology and culture and wanted to be the next Indiana Jones when I grew up. I love learning about new things, exploring new destinations and reading about history.
Entering corporate life…
Fast forward to 2018 where I went back to school to get an MBA with a concentration in process improvement. While I loved archaeology, I thought a more practical career approach in business would help me grow faster in the workforce. I tried out a few business classes and found process improvement. Learning about ways to make things better, faster, simpler, and cheaper all fascinated me. Luckily the skillset came naturally to me and allowed me to merge a lot of my knowledge about anthropology with business.
I thought I had it all figured out and went on to work as a project manager in corporate America. The longer I worked in this role however the more I realized I was still unfulfilled. Don’t get me wrong, the experience I was getting, the constantly changing projects that helped keep my ADD mind entertained and the new challenges I faced and overcame daily were awesome. However, the long hours, working for someone else, and never being able to save enough really wore on me.
My realization!
For a while I stuck with it, thinking if I could just climb the corporate ladder for a bit longer I would get to where I wanted to be. Then I took two trips, Colorado and Costa Rica, and they solidified my decision to leave corporate America.
I realized I lost myself in the 12 hour work days and stopped putting into focus what made me happy. My love for travel and trying new things was put on the back burner because I was so caught up with my work. I never wanted to take off because the thought of the backlog of work that would pile up was demotivating.
So I resigned despite having no backup job and quite a bit of student debt piled up. I got my savings together and decided to come up with a business plan that would allow me to have the flexibility to travel, work, make an impact, and live on my own terms.
Now back to present day…
Why we are doing this
1. We want to make a positive impact on the environment
Changing the way we think about cooking and the habits we take for granted in the kitchen can make a positive impact on the environment. By starting small and learning new things every day our positive impact grows with that knowledge and practice.
2. We want to educate others
Through the articles and recipes we hope to inspire others to try a new and more sustainable way of living. Starting in the kitchen and branching outward.
3. We firmly believe that sustainable living doesn’t have to be difficult or cost you an arm and a leg
You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Baby steps is how we are achieving this goal and that’s how you can begin your sustainable living journey too. We want to provide others with the resources to start helping the Earth by simple and easy life changes that won’t break the bank or send you running the other way with their complexity.
4. We want to live our lives to the fullest!
This world has so much to offer in terms of locations, cultures, cuisines and different experiences. We love having the ability to travel and explore.
Here’s a few places we have visited so far…
Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places in the world. With it’s vast jungle canopies and beautiful beaches this destination is a must visit for any traveler.
We absolutely loved Chicago. We were so lucky with the weather, it could not be more perfect. 3 days in the windy city without a breath of wind was quite lucky. While the “Bean” is a popular destination you can’t miss out on the “Second City Comedy Club”. And if you are there to try out the food be sure to indulge in deep dish pizza, the famous hotdogs and, if you want a breath taking culinary experience, check out “Alinea”.
Our visit to Rome was incredible. So much rich history, architecture, and pastaaaaa.
We stayed in Florence for about 6 weeks. The ancient city had some of the most amazing art I have every seen. You can feel the vibrance of the city when you walk through the streets. Not to mention Sbrino’s has the best gelato we have ever eaten.
Our future plans
Moving forward it is our dream to see positive change in the natural world.
It brings us so much joy to see people out there doing amazing things to help conserve our environment. We are living in a time of change and we want to be a part of that change.
We aim to spread the word of sustainable cooking. Changing small habits can have a massive impact on the environment. It’s the little things that add up and make the difference.
Not everyone will be able to do everything but someone can always do something. A positive step in the right direction, no matter how small, is still a positive step.
We hope you join us on this adventure!
We can’t wait to start our journey with you.We hope you join us on this adventure!
Leave us a comment below and let’s work together to help inspire positive change.