Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tis the season! Well, almost...

What happens about this time of year, every year? I don’t know about you, but I start to get overly excited about the much-anticipated cool-down. While this means little to you folks in the northern regions (I openly envy you, by the way), to those of us in the humid hotbox we call the South, anticipating that first major drop in temps is like waiting up for Santa. When those nighttime temps finally dip below 50, it’s all I can do to keep from tearing through the house like my butt is on fire (the cats do this – we call it “the rips”).
As the seasons change, I daydream of sitting beside a fire, snuggled in a cozy sweater with my favorite craft brew. I look forward to the culinary adventures Fall and Winter will bring…Which regional flavors will we weave into the Thanksgiving spread this year? Cajun? Southwest? Mexican? Southern? So many cookies and treats I would like to make… not enough friends and family to eat them all! What better time of year to finally launch…a blog.

Bacon Breasted Turkey - Ah. Mazing.

About me: I am a foodie. When I travel, I research the local restaurants to make sure I take full advantage of the local flavor. I have been cooking for a very long time. How long, you ask? Please don't...we don't know each other that well yet. :)  I am self-taught, from much research, observation, and personal culinary challenges. If I fall madly in love with a dish at a restaurant, I challenge myself to duplicate it. I rarely follow a recipe to the letter; I usually take a recipe or two and combine them, adding my own twists and tweaks. I have learned many useful tips and tricks I will share along my blogging journey. I used to be a food snob! Seriously, when you willfully embark upon an intricate 4-course meal, that literally takes two days to complete because you insist upon creating every scintilla from scratch... you may be a food snob. When you shun all forms of prefab, processed or packaged food...(you got it). Food. Snob. But, I somehow managed to overcome,even without professional therapy. It's called life balance. I have so many hobbies and interests, not to mention that full-time job thing, that I simply could not allow myself such purist luxuries as dicing every last onion, grinding my own home-grown, dehydrated, roasted peppers. If I could be guaranteed to live a full, active, healthy 200 years, then maybe... As it is, I have learned to take shortcuts when I need to. I have learned to relax more, and utilize quicker, and easier methods (ssshhh...don't tell anyone!). And one more thing - I have bacon. And I'm not afraid to use it.
Food can be defined as anything that nourishes, sustains or supplies (thank you, Merriam-Webster). I hope that somewhere in my musings, recipes, tips and foodistry, you will find something truly delicious, and nourishing as well.