The Modern Kitchen: An End to Real Cooking

Do people with modern kitchens actually cook any more? When I browse through Ethan Allen or IKEA catalogues, I see very sleek, shiny, and sophisticated kitchens that wouldn’t look out of place in a New York loft or a Tokyo shoebox apartment.

Yes, with all of it’s big, shiny appliances, counter tops, and matching utensils, newer kitchens certainly look impressive, modern/futuristic, but are they actually useable?

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Writer’s bloc sucks…

I wish something would come to mind…

Just keep the fingers moving…

Just keep typing, eventually something will pop into my mind…

I’m hungry…

Perhaps that’s why I can’t find something to write about…

When you don’t consume, your body begins to eat itself, does that sound healthy to anyone? I think not.

That is not natural, it is not healthy, it isn’t human.

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So often in the past year I’ve used an algebra formula, geometric pattern, or some other educational relic dug up from a math class from years ago and it’s caused the following thought to run through my mind time and again…

“Hmmm… so I WAS going to use that in this stuff in the real world.”

Just remember... making a kick-ass cake for a birthday party does NOT give you the right to get drunk and foolish at the same party... though in my case that's more of the rule than the exception.

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I honestly can’t put my sugar-covered finger on what exactly it is about making candy which fills me with positively-charged childish enthusiasm. I think it has to do with the correlation of candy to childhood and the fact that I’m making something fun when I should be doing something important or ‘adult’ such as cleaning… and that I’m getting away with it.

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I’m sitting on my couch, paralyzed in a state of comfort, and unwilling to move an inch. I’ve also just eaten a grilled cheese sandwich. Sound pathetic? Not in the least bit.

Get ready for an epic tale of one's trip to flavor country...

Oh yeah, some great bread-making tips as well.

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By the end of this article you will be sick of reading the phrase 'vanilla bean'...

The trade off is you'll be craving vanilla...

And that's always good...

Except for the hardcore dieters. (Sorry~

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This past St. Patrick's Day resulted in, well yes a hangover that's a given, a lesson in tradition and I had a hankering for some Irish Soda Bread...

Fun little fact: Baking Soda (Base) + Soured Milk (Acid) = Chemical Leavening... YEAH Food Science~!

The finished product kicks ass on it's own with a nice big slab of salted butter (trust me on this one), served with a hearty Beef Stew, or even hollowed out and used as a bread bowl for chili, stew, or a big salad.


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Butter > Oil

I have to say, regardless of what the health and heart nuts out there may say, butter isn’t a product of the devil. It brings wonderful flavor to food, not to mention exceptional tenderness to baked goods, and like all things taken in moderation, is acceptable for human consumption. Get used to it, accept it, embrace it.

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After a nearly two-week long hiatus, I'm back. Today I'm sharing a bit about me professionally, as well a technique everyone needs to memorize, and a cookie recipe that is SO good your socks are gonna come off...

In fact, when you have these cookies, save yourself the time and don't even put your socks on to begin with.

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All chef’s are drunks, I don’t care what anyone says. Furthermore, in our line of work, there’s no such thing as alcoholism. If you’re in the food industry, chances are you’re working in an area that’s either fast-paced, extremely dangerous, high stressed, or a combination of the three. And boy do you need a way to take the edge off after a day’s work. There’s little that feels better after a hectic shift in the kitchen then a cold drink… or seven.

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There’s nothing wrong with following a recipe strictly, but that’s not the point of cooking, more so not the point of YOUR cooking. If you have a recipe you absolutely swear by, give it a tweak. Add more salt or cook it for shorter time. Experiment, you might surprise yourself. Do what you will with it, but most importantly…

Make it your own.

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There are others who don’t even care about resolutions, admitting defeat before the onset and not caring to even try to make a difference in their lives (these are usually the same people who don’t vote). I, on the other hand, elect to make this year’s resolution count. *Stands up and stomps foot for effect*

This cooking blog is a significant portion of my overall resolution, as well as cornerstone to my cooking philosophy: Everybody CAN cook, Everybody SHOULD cook.

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