My inspiration!

I have two magazine subscriptions: Food & Wine and Allure. I was looking through one of them a day or two ago (not the one you'd expect, though) and came across this quote:

"Let food be your medicine and medicine your food" - Hippocrates, 400 B.C.

I was watching No Reservations the other day, and Bourdain was with Jose Andres, a famous NYC chef who owns the Mini Bar. (He stood in line in front of us at the SOBE Wine & Food fest). Now, if you know anything about cooking and food culture, as Andres explained, anyone who is good at molecular gastronomy says they don't actually do molecular gastronomy. Those who admit to using those techniques aren't very good. Andres says he doesn't...Guess he's pretty damn good at what he does ;-) He then sliced open a small tomato, squeezed it a bit, and the gelatinous middle came up. He explained how amazingly natural this gelatin was, not only because of the texture and appearance, but also the sound as you slurp it. One food item, something that most people eat all the time and think nothing of, offers a full sensory experience. (He also shoved Bourdain's head in a bucket of peaches at a farmer's market until his nose touched the peach fuzz, just to experience the beauty of what nature has created for us.)

People eat for so many reasons...convenience, addiction, pleasure, indulgence, health, necessity...but those who have a true love of food eat out of passion. Admittedly, I eat Easy Mac sometimes because it's "easy." I eat half a bag of Pizzeria Combos because I just can't put them down. I eat Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza because it tastes good. I eat cheesecake when I am being indulgent. I eat bananas not because I love them, but because I think they're probably good for me and the starchiness usually fills me up. Sometimes I eat whatever is nearby because I am hungry.

I cook with far more purpose...most importantly, because I have a true passion for food. I want to experience food. I want to pick herbs from my garden. I want to get veggies from the farmer's market. I want to smell a fresh fish filet. I want to feel all my food - course, sticky, slimy, messy, grainy, crunchy... I want to watch the look on people's faces when they try something I have cooked.

Cooking has really helped me through my pregnancy, especially the past few months. With the SOBE Food & Wine festival in February (and the amazing experience the next day at the strawberry farm), Julie & Julia last week, an event I plan on going to November 13th for my birthday, etc. I embrace food in so many ways. All summer long, I have experimented with so many delicious recipes, even creating some of my own recipes for sweets (which I NEVER do).

I roasted acorn squash today. It smells like toasted pumpkin seeds in my entire house. It tastes like Jewish chicken broth. It's amazing how food creates emotions, memories...

So what is the purpose of this blog? First and foremost, to document recipes I have tried, if I'd make them again next time, if I really liked them, any possible alterations, etc. Secondly, perhaps I'll inspire someone else I know to get in the kitchen. Thirdly, I want this for my daughter. I want to teach her to appreciate food the same way I do. I want to make her food that makes her smile, makes her feel comfortable, makes her face all messy!

One of my mom's favorite stories about me when I was a baby was when I took a bowl of spinach and massaged it into my scalp. Brilliant! I already wanted to understand food!!

Now on to my first post with recipes...