An Introduction of Sorts

I suppose I should first clarify that age is a relative thing. If you are 30 or under, I could technically be your mama and you probably do think I am old at nearly 48, hence the "old dog" reference. If you are older than 30, and certainly if you are older than 48, you will either think I am not so darned old or that I am, in fact, a young whippersnapper of a dog.

Second, I like old dogs. They have their priorities straight. They like to sleep, eat and take the occasional stroll outside. Readers of A Retail Life (my other blog) will know of my enduring fondness for an old beagle, Dogzilla (real name Costello, although it's still undecided whether his original owner or the people at the Humane Society were thinking of Lou or Elvis). Dogzilla's palate is not so discriminating, but he is certainly always on the hunt for something good to eat, and while my father is his favorite person in the whole world (in part because he is easier to trick and steal food from), I think he's taken a good look at me and decided that I must know what is really good to eat. He trusts my judgment implicitly on that score, with the possible exception of grape tomatoes, which still rank as overly squishy, teensy, and ultimately unsatisfying chew toys.

I created this blog because I like to cook and I just plain like food. I want to write about cooking and recipes and my ideas on food. A blog is a perfect spot to do that without much organization. I think I know a lot about cooking and food. I have a reputation as a good cook. I collect recipes and cookbooks. I read food magazines and almost never leave my local library without a cookbook of some kind. I enjoy finding out about food traditions, and ethnic and regional cuisines. Sometimes, you gotta use real butter, heavy cream and whole milk, but I find it is just as enjoyable to cook healthy, using lowfat and non-fat ingredients as long as you aren't sitting there trying real hard to convince yourself that "Uh huh. This tastes JUST as good as the real thing. Sure it does." I'll admit that I am not much on various organ meats, but pretty much anything else goes, including tofu. I think you should at least try the local cuisine whenever you visit somewhere. Almost everywhere on the planet has something that is quintessential to that place and the people that live there, so be adventurous and give it a whack. Step away from the Starbucks and the Hard Rock Cafe and live just a little when you travel.

I'm putting together a family cookbook that I hope to have ready for Christmas 2006. I'll probably share some of those recipes here from time to time and the stories and memories that go with them. The most complicated thing I ever made was a Torta di Tagliarini Ferrarese from "The Splendid Table". It turned out well, but it is also the thing that made me realize that I am not ever destined to excel at pastries and confections, in spite of having mastered a darned fine brownie recipe and a chocolate chip cookie variation that has won rave reviews.

This isn't terribly serious and it's meant to be fun because I don't think food should be terribly serious and I do think that food and cooking should be fun. I like to watch people that demystify cooking and who have fun doing so. I'm not much on complicated and pretentious presentation in any form, either in the recipe, the preparation or the presentation. Give me rustic any day of the week. I don't entertain often, but when I do, it's quite casual. Don't be afraid of food or of making mistakes. I've learned some of my best stuff through experimentation and the stuff that didn't turn out.

Now, let's get in the kitchen and have some fun. Turn on the music, open some wine and let's have a good laugh.