Cooking -- my story

One of the best things about having more free time after finishing grad school is having more time and energy to cook. I must say, I do not miss the days of unhealthy, unappetizing cafeteria food, or grabbing sugar or caffeine-laden food for late night brain sustenance. Perhaps it is because my mom was a foods and nutrition major, or because I have several friends passionate about organic eating and cooking that this has become a great area of interest to me. I find it challenging and fun to find nourishing recipes that are both tasty and healthful, and then try them out in my kitchen. My theory is, who wants to eat healthy food if it's bland and boring, right? But trying new recipes with unusual ingredients, fresh spices, and lots of flavor provides an outlet for culinary creativity that I very much enjoy. It's very satisfying to be able to discover recipes that are both healthy and delicious. One of my approaches to exploratory cooking is to find one or two new recipes each time I make a weekly shopping trip to try. I figure that now is the best time for me to begin experimenting with recipes, since I am generally only cooking for myself, and don't have to incorporate multiple food likes/dislikes/allergies as many wives and mothers do. This way I can learn how to become a better cook and hopefully develop skills that I can use if/when I am cooking for others in the future.

Of course, even now it is most fun to be able to share my dishes with family and friends at brunches, potlucks, and dinners. Many of my friends also enjoy cooking, and it's lovely when they share their delicious new recipes at these events, and then we end up swapping recipes and all expanding our culinary repertoires. Home cooking is a wonderful gift to be able to share with those you love!

So, in recognition of the important place that cooking has in my life, I would like to share my favorite recipes here as I discover them.