About the Cook

 

I really love food.

My mom says one of my first words was “chicken” (said with an exclamation point).

I guess even then I was a foodie.

I love food, it’s definitely a passion for me. I love the taste and texture and smell of it. To me, food is art and cooking is a creative outlet that I’m becoming more and more addicted to.

There are definitely some major influences in my life that until recently I didn’t even realize had shaped my food obsession. One that comes to mind is my high school boyfriend’s mom. She had her own garden and grew fresh veggies which she incorporated into every dinner. She was a great cook and made the most amazing salads and homemade salad dressings. She also made really good cakes (7-up cake…mmmm) and cookies. Her popovers were delicious and she used to make these waffles with a “bacon surprise” inside, oh man…they were insanely good. I asked her a lot of questions about food and she would always patiently answer them and let me eat dinner at her house every night. Between myself, my boyfriend and his brother, we really did eat her out of house and home. Ahhh….those were the days…

Moving to Santa Barbara in my early twenties was also another strong influence on my foodienes. If you are familiar with Santa Barbara you can attest to this. The restaurant scene is such a competitave environment, it’s sink or swim in SB. Too many locals there are used to good food, so if you don’t cut it, you fail, and a new chef/restaurant/concept/cuisine is waiting to take your place. This is bad for someone trying to get a new business off the ground but very good for us diners. Chefs shop at the local farmer’s market so you get fresh, seasonal cuisine prepared in some amazing and creative ways. The seafood is also amazing (Brophy’s anyone?). Santa Barbara is a coastal town so the seafood is fresh and plentiful. During the years I lived there I was spoiled.

Eating all that great, fresh food has really inspired me to re-create those experiences myself, in my own kitchen. So that’s the purpose, the point, the rhyme and reason for this blog. You get to watch me learn how to cook, try new recipes, and hopefully post my experiences on a (relatively) consistent basis.

Let me know what you think.