Misha Collins

Misha Collins is an actor, author, and artist who works to subversively inspire change through acts of creativity and fun. Misha currently stars in Supernatural, the longest running American sci-fi television show in history.

When not acting, Misha mobilize peoples through projects like GISH, the Guinness World Record-winning global scavenger hunt he created that challenges players to change the world—just by playing a game. He also founded the non-profit Random Acts, which aims to conquer the world through acts of kindness. Among their successes, GISH and Random Acts have rescued refugee families, built an orphanage in Haiti, and helped tackle child hunger.

Eons ago, Misha interned at the White House, worked at NPR, and got a bachelor’s degree at University of Chicago. Misha's a published poet who loves tea. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking and spending time in the kitchen—where he has been known to trap his family and friends in the kitchen for twelve-hour jam-making sessions when blackberries are in season.

Vicki Collins

Vicki, Misha's co-conspirator and wife, has a background in history and journalism. As a journalist, she's written about topics ranging from fingernail fashion to architectural history for publications including the Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and the Los Angeles Times. She holds a Ph.D. in US History and is a recipient of NASA and Guggenheim Foundation fellowships. Vicki came to the kitchen late in life; she had her head buried in her research for years while balancing her work with her busy life as a wife and mom, and she viewed meal preparation as just another chore. But with the help of her husband and their two young avante-garde chefs, she’s come to relish the joy of cooking family meals together. 

Misha and Vicki met in high school and attended University of Chicago together. Now they live in a small town in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, West and Maison.

WEST & MAISON

West Collins (age eight) has been cooking since he was two years old. West’s culinary antics can be seen in the web series Cooking Fast & Fresh with West. Known as an emerging chef on the fringe of the gastronomical frontier, West is known for his unorthodox flavor and texture combos. He likes audiobooks, LEGO, and salad. 

Maison Collins (age six) is an avante garde chef in her own right. She chimes in as critic in this book and has developed her own not-at-all critically acclaimed recipes such as parsley-beet-cinnamon muffins, which she, unfortunately, baked this morning. She likes making chai with a mallet, and enjoys cooking so much she might open a restaurant someday—if she doesn’t follow through on her other passion, tracking bats.