First Post

Okay Just watched Julie and Julia last night for my birthday. What an inspiring movie. Weird coincidences like August 13 keep popping up. I am trying to gather my ideas and take them to the next step. I love cooking, the more I learn about food the more obsessed I become about food sources. I am a big fan of Michael Pollan after reading In Defense of Food so much that I had to get the other book The Omnivores Dilemma. I first heard him being interviewed on NPR and with out thinking too much changed the way my family eats. It probably helped that about the same time I made a huge career change and am in the process of becoming a Chef.

Side thought what really makes one a chef, formal education, or experience or both or can you do it on just experience and lots of reading and experimenting in the kitchen? When do you become a chef officially? I ask these questions because my friends either assume I am a chef and others ask me. My question: What really is a chef? There are some blogs and websites that scare the living daylights out of me when they describe a chef. Seems that they are part crazy, part work-o-holic. Okay maybe a lot of crazy. Its the work-o-holic part that scares me. I really crave balance in my life. Especially as I have a very active and smart 2 year old. - (Mom braggin' rights.)

DZ the 2 year old wanders in and out the kitchen at will and 90% of the time it is no problem. I've learned to step over match box cars and stuffed kittens, along with the dog Jerry and our Maine-Coon Mickey who really is almost a dog anyway. The problem is when I am sauteing in or need to pull something out of the oven NOW. I so do not want to burn him. he can do it to himself but Mommy would feel awful if she caused any harm to him.



He has made his own chicken soup from scratch and waffles. He loves waffles and likes to help make them. The recipe is on the next post.