epicuriosity
My epicuriosity is showing again. Partially induced by boredom and a serious need to break from my current culinary routine, I find myself intensely interested in not just trying out new recipes, but really digging a little deeper and wanting to seek out and respect quality ingredients. I’ve always loved to cook – I remember logging a lot of kitchen time growing up. My brother and I were both a part of the sous chef brigade as children and teenagers. Making dinner or assisting mom and dad never seemed like a chore to me. And while our tastes in food may have diverged over the years, that love of fresh produce and time spent cooking was instilled in me over a consistent and lengthy period of time. We always had a garden – full of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and rhubarb. And just as working in that garden seems to relax and fill my father with satisfaction, taking that freshness and turning it into something simple and delicious is what relaxes me.
I love to chop, zest, julienne, slice and dice. Broil, boil, simmer, stir, bake and braise. The process of prepping that many find tedious, makes me slip into a zen state. I forget about whatever else needs to be done and focus on what’s in front of me. Instant gratification for minimal effort. Taking simple foods and grains, and creating something magically delicious. There are times when I actually miss working in a restaurant kitchen.
My other inspiration lately has come from an unlikely source – Top Chef All Stars. While there are generally some lackluster dishes involved in a normal season of the show, I have found myself online checking out more than a few of the dishes presented on the show and really enjoyed watching chefs who are hungry, creative and collaborative in a weekly basis. And last night’s finale was pretty inspiring and ambitious. It’s still my top reality show for a reason. All that gorgeous food. And Tom Colicchio.
I’ve been checking out a healthy smattering of food blogs lately and here are some of the ones I frequent. While I generally only skim recipes for inspiration (except when baking, excessive improvisation during baking can be a disaster and lead to some strange and slightly disturbing results), I enjoy a blog that’s more all-encompassing and provides backstory, information and pretty, pretty pictures. So, the goal this spring is to simply get cooking!
What's Gaby Cooking – personal chef provides interesting and simple recipes that skew to my culinary preferences.
Not Eating Out in New York – I love that this blog is full of super delicious-sounding recipes (of which I have several bookmarked to try out), but it maintains this pulse on the cutting-edge eateries of the area. Great resource.
The Italian Dish – Orangettes, you will be on my kitchen counter soon. Beyond that, I love simple Italian food and cooking. And I love, love, love all the glorious photos on this site. Sometimes I just sift through the photos when I’m bored.
Savory Sweet Life – mmmmmmmm. Chocolaty, salty, sweet and savory things. This one is right up my alley. And pure delicious decadence.
The Pioneer Woman – this is a more well-known one simply because of the cookbook. But I prefer the blog, it’s more of a lifestyle blog with lots of simple recipes thrown in. It’s good for a laugh and fun to look around.
And in the spirit of food and beverage goodness, I want to give a shout-out to:
Kentucky Ale – specifically Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale – my friend Jeremy reps this delicious concoction and I had the privilege to imbibe my fair share one evening recently. It should be said that I’m not a regular bourbon/whiskey drinker or aficionado by any means, but I really enjoyed the very unique character of this beer-that-tastes-more-like-bourbon. A clean, smooth, aromatic ale – I’ve really never tasted anything like it before.
I love to chop, zest, julienne, slice and dice. Broil, boil, simmer, stir, bake and braise. The process of prepping that many find tedious, makes me slip into a zen state. I forget about whatever else needs to be done and focus on what’s in front of me. Instant gratification for minimal effort. Taking simple foods and grains, and creating something magically delicious. There are times when I actually miss working in a restaurant kitchen.
My other inspiration lately has come from an unlikely source – Top Chef All Stars. While there are generally some lackluster dishes involved in a normal season of the show, I have found myself online checking out more than a few of the dishes presented on the show and really enjoyed watching chefs who are hungry, creative and collaborative in a weekly basis. And last night’s finale was pretty inspiring and ambitious. It’s still my top reality show for a reason. All that gorgeous food. And Tom Colicchio.
I’ve been checking out a healthy smattering of food blogs lately and here are some of the ones I frequent. While I generally only skim recipes for inspiration (except when baking, excessive improvisation during baking can be a disaster and lead to some strange and slightly disturbing results), I enjoy a blog that’s more all-encompassing and provides backstory, information and pretty, pretty pictures. So, the goal this spring is to simply get cooking!
What's Gaby Cooking – personal chef provides interesting and simple recipes that skew to my culinary preferences.
Not Eating Out in New York – I love that this blog is full of super delicious-sounding recipes (of which I have several bookmarked to try out), but it maintains this pulse on the cutting-edge eateries of the area. Great resource.
The Italian Dish – Orangettes, you will be on my kitchen counter soon. Beyond that, I love simple Italian food and cooking. And I love, love, love all the glorious photos on this site. Sometimes I just sift through the photos when I’m bored.
Savory Sweet Life – mmmmmmmm. Chocolaty, salty, sweet and savory things. This one is right up my alley. And pure delicious decadence.
The Pioneer Woman – this is a more well-known one simply because of the cookbook. But I prefer the blog, it’s more of a lifestyle blog with lots of simple recipes thrown in. It’s good for a laugh and fun to look around.
And in the spirit of food and beverage goodness, I want to give a shout-out to:
Kentucky Ale – specifically Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale – my friend Jeremy reps this delicious concoction and I had the privilege to imbibe my fair share one evening recently. It should be said that I’m not a regular bourbon/whiskey drinker or aficionado by any means, but I really enjoyed the very unique character of this beer-that-tastes-more-like-bourbon. A clean, smooth, aromatic ale – I’ve really never tasted anything like it before.
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