Posting

I have about three posts I am working on right now, all of which need some fine tuning and pictures. But I wanted to make sure I didn't go too long without actually writing something down. :)

Also working on my website, the official "hire me to cook you and your family and your friends" contact info.

And lastly, trying to figure out a name for all this awesome stuff that is going on! I am taking suggestions!

Some things that are important to me when it comes to cooking...I like to cook seasonally. That basically means that I want to use fresh ingredients that are growing right now, as we speak. And although I am not an earthy crunchy person, when it comes to food, I believe that where we live, the seasons we are in, we are provided with the stuff we are supposed to be eating. If you look at winter, everything that is growing in the winter, root veggies, winter squash and hardy greens, lend themselves to thicker and more filling foods. Higher starches equal fuller bellies, which are key to us living though colder months. So that is a big thing for me. That isn't to say I never go off the path, but I would rarely, if ever, serve raw tomatoes in the middle of winter. They taste bad, have an odd texture, and are never going to be as satisfying as they are fresh off the vine at the height of summer. 

I also like keeping my eye on current food trends. If used correctly, a "trend" can really brighten up a meal, add a note of wonder and elevate a standard meal into something really special. "Molecular gastronomy" is a huge thing right now, or combining science and cooking (which is funny, because I have always thought that cooking IS science), and is fascinating to study. Foams, "caviar beads", spherification...all very cool. It is something that should be all encompassing or used as an accent, there really is no in-between. I am looking at methods and techniques to add into my usual style of cooking.

Off that branch, I really like surprising people with things they thought they didn't like. I like to tell my friends that they should keep trying things on a regular basis, regardless of their past experience. I began liking olives after Bryan made me drink a martini. It was the most difficult thing to swallow, until finally, at the end of the tunnel, there was this salty little nugget, this bright spot afloat in a boozy lake which, once I found it, was a lifejacket. My love of olives was furthered by working at a restaurant, I would find myself walking up to the bar, waiting for a drink order, and picking up the olive drink garnishes. One for the drink, one for me. Now, I rarely leave a grocery store without a tub of olives from the olive bar. I also hated tomatoes, anchovies, and maybe most surprisingly, stinky cheese. It is rather funny that most of these items are in rotation as some of my favorites.

As for my usual style of cooking? HOME STYLE! While I am British born, New England raised, for some reason, my heart is located in the south. The biggest influence me and my style of cooking has absolutely been my time spent in New Orleans. It says "home" to me. It really is a uniquely American type of food, combining techniques from all of the people that ended up in the area into this amazingly comforting and satisfying culinary experience. And my favorite thing to do with home style cooking is to take it and elevate it. Add a little something to set it apart, while keeping it attainable and unpretentious. 

So there are some of the things that are important to me! There are probably 1000 other things, but for now, that is a start. Stay tuned for updates, feel free to drop some ideas on me. Rock on, seize the day, eat some new food!