Compound Butter will change your life...

I'm pretty much a fan of all things dairy so when we learned about compound butter in culinary school, i knew I was in for a real treat. This fancy sounding butter is really just unsalted butter with amazing yumminess ("raw ingredients"), frozen and stored to use as a shot of flavor to different dishes. The butter and whatever ingredient is mixed together, then rolled into a log, wrapped in wax or parchment paper and then just throw it into the freezer- presto-change-o. 

Compound better is typically used in restaurants as a finishing method. The compound butter log is cut into coins and used to top a hot piece of fish or meat so that melts on top on it's way to the table for service. Pretty awesome right? 

Here are some popular compound butters to get your mind going: 

- Shallots (used on Grilled Meat or Fish) 

- Tarragon leaves (used on Fish) 

- Lemon Juice, Parsley, Shallots, Red Wine, Meat Glaze (Grilled Meat)

- Strawberry (or other flavored) Jams (used on french toast, pancakes, etc) 

We made a Compound Butter with Truffles (both the oil and actual truffles) and chives - we used this on top of our green beans and gremolta (next blog posting) - pic below. Just imagine her melting on top of a hot steak and you'll start to salivate: 

Superbowl : Spinach and Pepper-Jack Pizza

So this pizza could not be a quicker snack/meal - this recipe makes 2 huge pizzas... it says it serves four but it really could serve like 8 (depending on how fat everyone is).

The only small complaint I have is that it was slightly salty - I'm not sure if it's cause I had a heavy hand with the salt or because the pepper-jack was super salty. Either way, you can substitute the cheese however you want. The bacon gives it a lot of flavor. I would also probably use fresh spinach but if you dont have time, frozen spinach (which is what I used) still tastes delish.

Spinach and Pepper-Jack Pizza
Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained, and squeezed dry
3/4 lb pepper-jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 12-inch store bought Pizza Shells (I bought Trader Joe's brand and it was soooo good)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425°. In a large nonstick frying pan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
2. 2.In a large bowl, combine the bacon, drained spinach, pepper jack, salt, and pepper and mix well. Brush the pizza shells with the oil. Divide the spinach mixture evenly between the two pizza shells and sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.
3. Bake the pizzas directly on the oven rack (for a crisper crust) or on two baking sheets until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Superbowl: Crispy Pita Chips!

So I wasn't expecting to make these but I had some pita on me (like in my fridge, not in my purse) and realized we need something to dip with the crab dip and guac.

These actually were just an after thought and we used leftover ingredients to make a yummy addition to our menu.

No specific recipe, just take pita, cut 'em, drizzle some olive oil on them and then top them with whatever you want your chips to be flavored with. I used garlic and Parmesan. They were so good - perfectly crisp but not dry. I heated the oven to 350 degrees and stuck 'em in there for maybe 7 minutes?

I would also like to try them with herbs like basil or maybe even with some crushed peppers for a spicy version. Possibilities = endless.

On that note, I'm going to go to bed and finish this tomorrow - I'll leave you with pictures of my beloved Pita Chips:

Superbowl: 3 Cheese Mini-Macs

The mini-macs are a big crowd pleaser - it makes people go, aw, now THAT's clever! even though it's quick and easy. I got a lot of "That's smart for a superbowl party!" so I guess I did something right...

These macs were super-cheesed up: Parmesan, Cheddar, and American Cheese. Yup, that makes 3. If you're like me, you're like "The more cheese the better... CHEESE! I Love Cheese! Cheese + Me = Love Foreva!"

I didn't use mini-cupcake tins - I actually just used regular ones since, well to be honest - that's all I had. It's supposed to make 48 mini-macs but actually made about 24 regular sized ones.


INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb elbow mac
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (Spanish? Yeah, I just used the one I found at D'ags)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.
2. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
4. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
5. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 min­utes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve

Sidenote: You can prepare all the stuff ahead time up to Step 4

Superbowl : Bloody Mary Cocktail Meatballs

These meatballs were a real superstar ... they were like the Tony Romo of football. Wait. Did I do that right?

Anyway, this was a surprisingly simple dish - plus who doesn't like to mix a brunch cocktail with a meatball? I tried a little bit of JUST the bloody mary... man does that sucker have a kick. But glazed on these half pork, half beef meatballs, they were so good.

I made the meatballs ahead of time - I should have refrigerated them so that when I fried them they wouldn't lose their shape but instead I left them on the counter and they ended up being some weird 3-D triangle instead. Here they are in their spherical form:














After cooking the meatballs through, I poured in some Bloody Mary and let it simmer and reduce down into the meatballs:

















This recipe makes about 32 meatballs which got devoured in like 15 minutes so I would probably make a double dose:


INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb lean ground pork
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 small celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons horseradish
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 slice white sandwich bread, soaked in warm water, squeezed dry and crumbled into pieces
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used habanero)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1/2 cup Three-Pepper Bloody Mary*

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine the beef and pork with the celery, horseradish, egg, bread, hot sauce, salt and pepper and knead well. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add the Three-Pepper Bloody Mary and simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced by half and the meatballs are glazed, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

3 Pepper Bloody Mary INGREDIENTS

1 cup Vodka
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, smashed
1 small jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce, preferably habanero
2 1/2 cups tomato juice
4 teaspoons horseradish
1 teaspoon celery salt (this confused me so I used regular salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, combine the vodka with the onion, garlic, jalapeño, lemon juice and hot sauce and puree until smooth. Add the tomato juice, horseradish, celery salt and pepper and blend. Strain into tall glasses over ice and serve with lime wedges and celery ribs.

New Favorite Cupcake :: Carrot Cake Cupcake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

So sorry for the hiatus in blogging - John Mayer (cat version) has been sick and I've been a worried mother. I didn't want you think IBP was suffering a similar fate as Carmen's Best Week Ever.

In any case, I stayed home from work today to keep an eye on Mayer - I was stressing myself out so I decided to bake/cook to calm my nerves. I've been meaning to try this simple cupcake recipe and I already had all the ingredients in my apartment so it perfect.

I made a few adjustments to this recipe - I added a little extra ginger (about 1/2 teaspoon) and a tad bit less sugar (about 1/4 cup) to the frosting. I also added walnuts to the carrot cake batter - I love the extra crunch and nuttiness (PS I hate the word "nutty"). I would probably add some nutmeg in the future as well.

In any case, here are some pics of the results - they are actually really pretty and you can decorate them however you want. I kept mine simple:






































I gotta hand it to Epicurious - this is a sure-fire crowd pleaser.

Here is the recipe.. .enjoy!

Carrot Cupcakes with Ginger-Cream Cheese Icing

Batter:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
• 1/4 cup drained canned crushed pineapple in juice

Icing:

• 2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture in 2 additions, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in carrots and pineapple. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

Icing Directions:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar and ginger; beat until fluffy and smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature, then beat until fluffy before using.)

Spread top of each cupcake with scant 3 tablespoons Ginger-Cream Cheese Icing.

DELICIOUS!

Egg in a Cup

Just because I am fully obsessed with Food and Wine, Truffles, and Per Se, doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the simpler things in life... like cooking my meals in a cup.

This weekend in Vermont, I had an eye opening experience. You can make an egg and cheese sandwich in 30 seconds and only have to wash out a coffee mug. How? I'm glad you asked!

1)Put English Muffin in Toaster
2) Break an egg into a Mug
3) Scramble Egg in Mug
4) Tear up a slice a cheese and place on top of Egg in Mug
5) Nuke Mug for 30 seconds (40 for a more cooked egg)
6) Take English Muffin out of toaster, turn mug upside-down over a half muffin, salt n' peppa, close sandwich and enjoy a scrumptious breakfast (yummy noises optional)

Visuals below:

Steamy Egg hot from the microwave:















Delicious completed sandy (minus 1 bite):

Dinner Party 2 - Let's Try Again

A few weeks after Baby's First Dinner Party, I threw my next soiree. I invited 7 friends which was just enough people to make me feel overwhelmed and realize that my studio apartment is NOT THAT BIG.

I tried a more ambitious menu - no more popping things in the oven. This was full-on cooking and timing courses.

I started with an appy to keep my guests happy while I scrambled around in my dirty kitchen (which is clearly not made for dinner parties with more than 4 people involved) ... I choose Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricasse from my beloved Food and Wine magazine. This recipe was made famous by Chef Daniel Boulud and was actually pretty simple. It involved walnut oil, which I didn't know existed but am happy to discover. It really gave the cheese an amazing nutty flavor and went nicely with the mushrooms I picked out at Whole Foods. For those of you who don't know, Camembert is the best cheese - a lot like brie, but with a little less creamy and more flavorful. Side note, I did not take any photos of this since I was going insane so I'll just post the F&W pics so you can get an idea of what it looked like:

Total Time : 30 minutes Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Walnut Pieces
One 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in it's wooden box, room temperature
1 teaspoon Walnut Oil
3/4 lb Wild Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley




DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
2. Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
4. Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese. Serve with the toasts.

For the Main Entree and side dish, I decided to make an Amazon Fried Chicken. Now I know, Fried Chicken, big whoop. Also, what makes this dish Amazonian (real word? Spell Check seems to think so)? Well my friends, now is as good time as any to declare my undying love for Cilantro. This dish has an AMAZING cilantro sauce - the dinner party goers were absolutely raving about this one. The only tip I have for this recipe is definitely do not disregard the thinly sliced chicken aspect... I got regular chicken breasts and didn't have a meat mallet (later I realized I could have used a pan) - so I couldn't break up the protein to cook the chicken faster. OH! Also, I redeclared my love for my Cuisinart when it made crushing my potato chips a snap. Here we go:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cilantro leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, seeded
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
One 5-ounce bag potato chips, finely crushed
Four 6-ounce boneless chicken breast halves, pounded 1/2 inch
thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a blender, combine the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, vinegar and water and puree. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate.
2. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Spread the potato chips in a third bowl. Lightly coat the chicken with the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the beaten eggs. Coat the chicken with the potato chips.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Serve at once with the cilantro sauce.

Since the recipe said to pair it with a tomato salad, and since we were already being adventurous and exotic, I chose to do a tomato mango salad that was really simple and tasted like a million bucks. This recipe is compliments of Jean-George Vongerichten of Mercer Kitchen, Spice Market, and of course, Jean-Georges:

Total Time: 25 minutes Serves 10

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
3 large shallots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 thinly sliced basil leaves
10 medium tomatoes (3 lbs), sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 large ripe mangoes - sliced, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick





DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar with the olive oil; season with salt. Add the shallots and 1 cup of the basil and toss well. Arrange the tomatoes on a platter and top with the mango slices. Drizzle with the dressing, garnish with the remaining 1 cup of basil and serve.

And of course, my favorite part of any meal - the dessert! Mini-Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecakes to be specific. This was so tasty and if you like nutella, you will love these bad boys. Easy to prepare ahead and store for the next day, and super cute... especially if you are having a cocktail party and need little mini-foods for your guests. I served this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream:

Total Times: 40 minutes Serves 12

INGREDIENTS:
15 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (i.e Oreos)
2 tablespoons raw or roasted hazelnuts, skinned ( I couldn't find hazelnuts so I skipped this)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup hazelnut chocolate spread, preferably Nutella
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mini-chocolate chips (I used Dark Chocolate)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray the liners with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a food processor, combine the cookies, hazelnuts and butter and process to very fine crumbs. Divide the crumbs among the cups and, using a flat-bottomed glass, press on the crumbs to compact them. Bake for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, wipe out the food processor bowl. Add the cream cheese, Nutella, sour cream, eggs and sugar and puree until smooth. Spoon the filling into the cups until it nearly reaches the top; there may be a few tablespoons of leftover batter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheesecakes have risen and the surfaces are lightly cracked. Let the cheesecakes cool slightly, then transfer the muffin tin to a rack and freeze for 10 minutes, until the cheesecakes are slightly cooled. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

And there you have it my friends -dinner party edition II. I'll be having another one shortly - any suggestions? I was going to do a shabu-shabu type dinner, breakfast for dinner, or all appetizer dinner. Let me know if you have any suggestions for recipes or meals!

Baby's First Dinner Party

Awhile back, I hosted my first dinner party... EVER. I never anticipated ever having the desire to host anything, let alone feeding 5 of my friends so needless to say, shopping was a bitch since I had no ingredients (nope, not even sugar),

I tried to plan my menu carefully as to not overwhelm both my amateur cooking and hosting skills. Here are some tips:

- Pick an entree that can pretty much cook itself (minimal prep time and long cook time without supervision)
- Use Crowd Pleasers foods or as I like to call them, food with cheese and/or chocolate
- Distract everyone with tons of alcohol

I employed all these tactics and chose the following menu from my favorite food magazine Food and Wine:

Entree:

LEEK MACARONI AND CHEESE

4 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 bunch leek greens (from 1 1/2 lb leeks) - thinly sliced
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups half and half or whole milk (I used non-fat half and half which tasted great)
10 ounces Manchego Cheese (shredded, about 2 1/2 cups)
1 lb elbow macaroni







Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook over high heat, stirring just until slightly wilted, 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until very tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook over moderately high heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and bring to a boil, whisking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 2 cups of the cheese, season with salt and pepper and whisk the cheese sauce until melted.
3. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until nearly al dente. Drain well. Add the macaroni and the cheese sauce to the leek greens and stir until combined.
4. Transfer the macaroni to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, until bubbling. Turn the broiler on and broil the mac and cheese until golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Served with:

SPINACH AND AVOCADO SALAD


3/4 lb Thick Cut Bacon
3 tablespoons honey mustard
Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 5-ounce bags pre-washed baby spinach
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved
3 large Scallions. white and tender parts, thinly sliced
2 large Haas Avocados, peeled and sliced into wedges




DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Arrange the bacon slices on a large, heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning the slices halfway through. Drain the bacon on paper towels and let cool, then cut the strips crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the sherry vinegar with the honey mustard and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
3. In a bowl, toss the spinach, tomatoes and scallions with the vinaigrette. Arrange the salad on plates, top with the sliced avocados and bacon and serve.

RESULTS:
From the "yummies" I got around the table (table = coffee table and floor), it seemed like everyone liked it. People were inquiring what was in the dressing even though it was super simple ingredients, so this salad is a lot fancier than it seems. I added a little bit more crunch and texture by topping the salad with some crispy shallots.

The mac and cheese was great and made about 8 servings overall - I brought it to work the next day to share and it heated up in the microwave, no problemo. On a difficulty rating, this duo was probably a 5... not a lot of prep work, I just stuck the mac and cheese in the oven and worked on the salad.

Onto dessert which I feel like was a real home-run with both the guests and myself ... mostly cause it was the easiest thing ever to make...

DESSERT:

Banana-Chocolate Spring Rolls




2 medium Bananas
Eight 7 1/2 inch square spring roll wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
32 semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate...mmm....)
8 teaspoons shredded and sweetened coconut
Vegatable Oil (for frying)
Confectioners ' sugar and cocoa, for dusting (I skipped this part and plated using fresh raspberries and a chocolate smear)







DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut each banana in half lengthwise and halve each piece crosswise. Work with 1 wrapper at a time; cover the rest with a damp paper towel. Lay 1 wrapper on a work surface and lightly brush the edge with beaten egg white. Place a banana quarter 2 inches from the bottom of the wrapper and top it with 4 chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of coconut. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and roll up 1 complete turn. Fold in the sides and continue rolling to form a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350°. Add 2 spring rolls at a time and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. Dust the spring rolls with the sugar and cocoa and serve.

RESULTS:
As I mentioned, this was super popular and it made me happy cause it was cinchy. I served it with coconut sorbet (one of my favorite desserts solo). The really awesome thing about this dessert was it didn't feel too heavy or too sweet. It was the perfect way to end the meal.

All in all, the hardest part about the whole dinner party was timing. Timing out when the guests would show up, getting all the prep work done, etc - that was my biggest challenge. I still haven't mastered it, so I have no hints but I'll keep you posted on what I learn in the future.

Big THANK YOU to all my culinary guinea pigs... thanks for eating my food and maybe pretending to like it..

Hello and Welcome!

If you're wondering what this blog is about, and why you're wasting your precious cyberspace time here, lemme clear things up for you.

This blog is the equivalent of the first round of American Idol auditions - the William Hung's of the food world who can't help but think they are meant to shoot for the stars even though reality tells them otherwise.

I decided to start this blog because people out there? They take their food very seriously - as they should. Food is not to be joked about - it's sestenance, but also, I guarantee that not one person on this earth can go a day without thinking about it. How many days have you spent in front of your computer, bored out of your mind and hungover as all hell - and all you can think about is a juicy burger and fries from the Shake Shake? You know, watching the live webcam and planning your lunch hour around how long the line is? Um, just me then?

In any case, with amazing Food blogs such as Serious Eats, Eater.com, and Grub Street - you have a wealth of knowledge at your feet about the best food and restaurants Manhattan has to offer. Combine that with the ever fascinating Food Network and I'm pretty sure you have everything you've ever wanted to know about food.

I'm hesitant to coin it as such, but this is food from a more novice level. I'm interested in discovering food. I still google certain ingredients/foods cause I have no idea what they are. I'm inviting the readers of this blog to learn with me. I may never be the next Anthony Bourdain or Mario Batali, but at least I can learn to make myself dinner once in awhile.

Second to my dream of becoming a world-reknown chef, I would love to be a food photographer. So expect there to be many pictures of things that I like to eat....

STAY TUNED!