I feel so 1999 finally entering the world of blogging.
I don’t consider myself a particularly good writer, as will probably become apparent to anyone who bothers to read this site. By trade I am an IT security professional, programmer and video game addict. I really never planned on creating a blog, much less one centered around cooking. My roommate suggested I start taking pictures and notes of things I cook (I don’t often make the same thing twice) in what was most likely a bid for a repeat performance of some of the particularly successful dishes. That became an excel spreadsheet for about a month. Since my cooking often results in large quantities of food, I would bring some in to share with my co-workers. This turned into repeated pleas that I create a blog so they could recreate the meals. When it comes down to it, this blog is the fault of Crystal, Alicia, Nancy and Allison. Blame them if it’s a waste of internet space.
Over the years cooking has evolved into a relaxing and rewarding activity. I can’t imagine myself ever doing this professionally, primarily out of the fear that it would suck all of the enjoyment out of it (not to mention the financial potential is generally far lower than my current occupation). I didn’t always enjoy cooking. It started out as a great source of stress. What if it tastes bad, what if it makes me sick, what if nobody likes it. This was compounded by choosing a recipe. I am a bit indecisive by nature and the pure quantity and variety of recipes would put me in a round room looking for a corner. I considered a recipe as a law that MUST be followed explicitly. Add to this a list of ingredients that I just didn’t like (or didn’t think I liked) and I would spend literally hours looking for a chicken salad recipe that didn’t contain pineapple, or grapes, or walnuts. I took many years for me to realize that it’s easier to approach a particular dish as a framework, or frame of reference that offers a lot of leeway for creativity in making something you actually want to eat, without all of the stress of having to follow someone else’s approach exactly. Using the chicken salad as an example, you have some sort of cooked chicken, some contrasting textures to add depth, some spices or herbs for flavor, and some kind of binder or dressing. Looking at this as the framework for a chicken salad removes the need for a recipe. Use whatever you want from each of the framework areas (or whatever you have on hand as is often the case). The possibilities are endless, and often delicious.
Extemporary Eats 