First things first, I am not a professional cook by any stretch of the imagination. I am simply someone who likes to cook, eat, and connect with my familial and societal past through food. Ever since I was a baby food has been a very important part of my life. My first words were “more food” (literally) and when I was three all I wanted for Christmas was a “toy chicken” which translated to “toy kitchen” in my toddler speech.

Despite my early love for all things eating I have found myself daunted by the responsibility of depending on my own cooking to survive on something besides pasta. Cooking chicken, buying a good steak, eating the all vegetables I buy before they go bad, and stocking a pantry are lessons that somehow passed me by. Now I’m diving into learning how to make delicious meals from a seemingly empty fridge or whatever looked best at the farmer’s market (or was on sale at the grocery store) and not have to depend on a recipe. If that sounds like a noble goal I hope you follow a long and come cook with me!