The adventure begins...here come’s the Culinator!

Not known for being the best cook when it comes to making things from scratch, I have started a quest — with no particular goal or definite direction — to become a really great cook. Well, at least a mediocre cook. My fine dining capability has been limited to the grill where there’s been an ongoing debate in our family regarding whether I’m making steam or smoke. I say that mom (Elizabeth) makes smoke and I make steam but its actually. Pretty much the opposite. So, while recovering from recent back surgery I decided to watch ”Julie and Julia” for the second time in a bunch of years. It has inspired me to learn to cook better — although I’m not going to try and do all of Julia Child’s recipes in one year. For that matter, I’m not going to try to do all of her recipes because there’s things I just don’t want to eat (I don’t like oysters - I’ve tried them every way but raw and I just don’t like oysters). I don’t know that I’m going to master the art of French cooking because when I get tired of those recipes, or decide to just do different types of food (did someone say Bobby Flay?) or if I take a look at my Korean or German cookbooks, I may head off in that direction. Bottom line, I reserve my right to freedom of speech and will write about what I want to write - mostly cooking related no doubt. You also have the right to not read any of this!

Now, to get this started, I’m going to copy and repost the first couple of things I posted on our private family Facebook page. Special thanks to Rachel for setting up this blog. Special thanks in advance for Rachel, or somebody, figuring out how to put this somewhere on the magical internet where other people can read it. Ready, set, go! Here we go! ]

P.S. Feel free to leave comments but... I like to be positive so if you leave comments that are grumbly downers I may just delete them because it’s my blog. If it doesn’t taste good we shouldn’t eat it. If it is written and it doesn’t uplift or build us up then we shouldn’t read it. If it isn’t kind or friendly then you should post it. Those are the rule! The Culinator has spoken.

P.P.S. It may be hard to tell but I’m not a professional photographer. I’m taking the photos myself with an iPhone or iPad so other than cropping nothing is being edited. If it looks burnt, then it is burnt. I have learned, however, that we chefs refer to that blackness as “char” or “carmelization.”