Meet Maple
Meet Maple, the official taste tester, crumb collector, and kitchen companion of Recipency!
Olivia originally planned to spend one quiet afternoon meeting a few golden retrievers and learning more about the breed.
That plan changed the moment Maple walked over, rested his oversized paw beside her, and looked completely certain that they already belonged together.
He was friendly, curious, slightly clumsy, and interested in every sound coming from the kitchen. It did not take long for him to become part of Olivia’s everyday life and eventually part of Recipency too.
Why the name Maple?
Choosing his name took longer than expected.
Olivia considered plenty of possibilities, but none seemed right for a golden retriever with such a warm coat and gentle personality.
Then one morning, Maple sat beside the breakfast table watching a stream of maple syrup fall over a stack of pancakes. His concentration was so serious that the name suddenly felt perfect.
Warm, golden, sweet, and always interested in breakfast, Maple suited him completely.
Maple is now the official taste tester and kitchen-floor cleaner around here.
He is excellent at finding harmless crumbs, but not especially useful as a food critic because, according to Maple, nearly everything smells wonderful.
Dog-safe pieces of carrot, cucumber, apple, sweet potato, or plain cooked chicken receive immediate approval. Foods that are unsafe for dogs remain completely out of reach, no matter how convincing his expression becomes.
Photo bombing
Every time food is photographed for Recipency, Maple is somewhere nearby.
He may be under the table, beside the tripod, resting at Olivia’s feet, or watching from just outside the frame.
His eyes become especially focused when a golden roasted chicken dinner is placed in front of the camera.
Whenever Maple squeezes himself beneath a small photography table, Olivia moves carefully. One sudden movement could send the carefully arranged food in the wrong direction.
On other occasions, an entire photography session is completed before anyone notices a golden ear, a nose, or two hopeful eyes appearing in the background.
Dessert photography is different. Maple watches from a safe distance, especially when chocolate is involved.
Life outside the kitchen
Maple has plenty of energy to use when he is not supervising recipes.
He enjoys long walks, exploring food markets with Olivia, meeting new people, carrying his favorite toy, and stopping to investigate every interesting smell along the way.
Afterward, he is usually ready to return home and take his place near the kitchen again.
Maple has five modes
Maple is a fairly simple fellow. He generally operates in five modes:
- Eating
- Hoping to eat
- Playing
- Hoping to play
- Sleeping
When he is not watching a recipe being prepared, waiting for a walk, or following Olivia from room to room, he is usually resting nearby.
Part of the Recipency family
Recipency is first and foremost a food website, but Maple has naturally become part of its personality.
He appears in kitchen moments, behind-the-scenes photographs, market trips, and the occasional unexpected corner of a recipe photo.
Readers will also find a Life of Maple section in selected Recipency posts, sharing small moments from his life beyond the recipes.
To meet the person responsible for the recipes and the person Maple follows everywhere visit Olivia Bennett’s About page.
People often say that dogs begin to resemble their owners.
Olivia once believed she and Maple were the exception. But after seeing their matching expressions whenever food appears, she is no longer so certain.