inspirations

The purpose of this blog is for me write about my culinary experiences. I have silent dreams of becoming a travel and food writer, and maybe this blog will give me the gusto to take what has long been a passion to a higher level. There are a few reasons I care so much about food: (1) I love every cuisine more than anyone I know (except Ethiopian for some reason, although Zed's in Washington, DC is the one exception); (2) I desperately enjoy cooking for others and seeing their faces when they enjoy my dish; (3) I yearn to learn tricks of the trade; (4) I envy people like Anthony Bourdain and David Rocco who have made careers out of traveling and cooking. Cooking is both entertainment and survival; indulgence as well as simplicity. I love that I can enjoy doing something that is a necessity of life.

Sources of culinary inspiration are everywhere. There are all the restaurants and chefs in New York City and on Food Network/Cooking Channel/Travel Channel, that I like to review and discuss. There are also mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, cousins, and family friends who made age-old classics that we grew up eating, but perhaps took for granted because they weren't necessarily served on a silver platter with mint leaves arranged vertically to make a triangular point on top. I want to document all of the artistry around me in one place, hoping to spawn my own culinary ideas through cooking and writing (my only valuable professional skill in my opinion). The main idea of this blog is for me to try out recipes and see how they turn out. This includes recipes from TV, but also from my collection of "Auntie recipes." I hope to create a museum of traditional regional family recipes that people can refer to so all the classics don't get lost in future generations. Lastly, I want to start making up my own recipes and see if I can actually come up with something good. I think there are enough sites that publish restaurant reviews, so I may stay away from that, but I do like keeping a running tab of fabulous NYC restaurants. In the process of writing, I hope to improve my own cooking and attempt to experience the world of gourmet cooking from the comfort of my own home.