My Next Adventure: Cooks Atlas!

Hi friends, it’s Leanne—your former bento-maker-in-chief at Bento Picnic. Since closing the shop, I’ve been on a journey to figure out what’s next. Today, I’m thrilled to share the answer with you: Cooks Atlas, a new food project that’s close to my heart.

When I closed my bento shop, I knew I wasn’t done working in food. To me, every meal plays a role in our overall wellbeing—our physical and mental health, our connection to community, our appreciation for where our food comes from. And if you’re the one doing the cooking, it can also be a joyful, creative act.

At first, I thought I might write a cookbook. But when I started pitching to literary agents, I was told I needed a “platform” to get a publishing deal.

That gave me pause. I didn’t want to pour my energy into social platforms designed more for scrolling than cooking. And I felt stuck—unsure how to share seasonal recipes in a way that was interactive, personalized, and truly helpful for everyday home cooks.

Then—serendipity.

I met two brilliant, big-hearted humans: Frederic, a software architect, and Thaniel, a service designer, who were dreaming up an online ecosystem that mirrored everything I’d been looking for.

Together, we are building Cooks Atlas—a community-based culinary platform that makes home cooking less overwhelming and a lot more fun.

We’re launching the first version of Cooks Atlas this summer!

Our early focus? Helping Austin farmers market–goers turn their weekly hauls into simple, delicious meals.

This seasonal cooking feature is at the heart of Cooks Atlas—and it will always be free.

No paywall. No ads. No endless blog scrolls. Just a treasure trove of tried-and-true, human-tested recipes ripe for the picking!

Join me on this journey!

If this sounds like your kind of adventure, I’d love for you to join us! Join our waitlist for updates on our summer launch and be the first to explore what we’re building. Thank you for being part of this community. I can’t wait to share more soon.