What is Taste This?
This newsletter is my shared kitchen, a space for us to bake, cook, and share together. I'll bring you tips I've learned personally and professionally as a pastry chef, stripping away the technical jargon to make everything approachable for your home kitchen. But it won't just be me—you'll also hear from my dear friends, my queer chosen family, as they share their food and stories.
And it's not just about the food. A queer kitchen is about the environment. So, expect music, lifestyle tidbits, and a little fun because this isn't just about what's on the plate—it's about the who and the what around the table.
Queer Chosen Family?
Chosen family isn't just about finding your people—it's about creating a bond that runs deep. A legacy. A connection built through trust, love, and, let's be honest, a lot of time spent in the kitchen.
In queer spaces, food does more than feed us—it holds our narratives. The recipes we share become relics, treasures passed on to future queer chosen family and cherished allies. These dishes carry our stories, joy, struggles, and triumphs. They record who we are, who we've been, and who we're becoming.
In our kitchens, we get to rewrite the narratives of blood family recipes, transforming them into something that feels right, that feels ours. We take the pie that once felt bittersweet and make it joyful. We breathe new life into those inherited dishes, swapping shame for celebration, heaviness for light, and exclusion for community. We give those recipes new meaning—layering in our chosen family's love, laughter, and healing and welcoming others into the fold.
Here’s What to Expect
You’ll hear from me twice a month no matter what—free and clear. One recipe, one Kitchen Tea (a behind-the-scenes story, ingredient deep dive, or queer food history snack). Always free, always with heart.
If you choose a paid subscription, you’ll get two more emails each month: a bonus recipe and a longer-form narrative dispatch, plus two mini-zines throughout the year. Paid subscriptions also help keep the free tier available to everyone and allow me to pay guest contributors.
Now that my debut cookbook, Potluck Desserts: Joyful Recipes to Share with Pride, is out in the world, this space is growing with it. My goal with Taste This has always been to keep things casual, generous, and grounded—like social media used to be—while creating a space to share, learn, and build community around queer food and chosen family.
Upgrading to a paid subscription is never expected, but always appreciated.
But, Who Are You?
I'm Justin Burke— a self-taught pastry chef, food writer, recipe developer, queer advocate in and out of the food space, and author of Potluck Desserts. With over 15 years in the food world, I’ve honed my skills in professional kitchens while finding my creativity and voice in the spaces beyond them. But it's in the intersection of food and queer culture where I truly found myself.
As a queer non-binary person, food has been both a means of personal nourishment and a way to connect with my chosen family. The kitchen has always been where I can express who I am—what I've learned, unlearned, and how I show up. It's also where I discovered the power of sharing food with people who understand that food isn't just about what's on the plate. It's about story, healing, laughter, and joy.
I've spent my career blending the technical knowledge I've gained as a professional chef with the messy, beautiful energy of queer culture. Whether developing recipes or advocating for visibility in the food space, my work reflects my commitment to creating inclusive, accessible spaces where all can feel seen and valued.
