I've been a home cook since I was 8 years old. I'm not even kidding..really, seriously since age 8. Both my parents worked outside the home and my brothers and I were responsible for helping around the house. One of my contributions was having dinner on the table every evening. I remember looking through our pantry with a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (the one with the red gingham cover) in hand and seeing what I had enough ingredients to make - and that is how I'd decide what to make.
After raising two kids of my own while working full time and experiencing all of the cooking challenges that entails, these days I find I have more time and energy to be able to really enjoy the process of cooking. The kids are away at college and I'm free to go on the culinary adventure of my choosing. I'm absolutely fascinated (and dare I say enchanted) by every aspect of cooking - ingredients, methods, cuisines - you name it. It's now my passion and my hobby. It's even therapeutic. In fact, I've taken to eliminating many of the shortcuts I once used in cooking and am enjoying the rewards of making things from scratch. I find myself seeking out ways to create every element of the dish myself - anything from making homemade butter to grinding my own spices.
I'm having a lot of fun rediscovering, reinventing and learning new cooking methods and cuisines. Simply put, I'm "enjoying the journey" as much as the final destination. Heck, I may even can something.
In my downtime, when I'm not cooking up something in the kitchen or shopping at the local farmer's market, you may very well find me at Sur La Table enjoying a cooking class. They have great classes.
In any case, this blog is my way of cataloguing my adventure and sharing along the way.
Chow,
Veronica
