About Me

I have always LOVED cooking. When I was nine years old, I started my own baking business called "Brownies by a nine-year-old". I sold cookies door-to-door in my neighborhood and was wildly successful for a week or so. Then one day my nine-year-old brain reasoned, "Why am I paying my friends to help me when I could just do it myself and keep all the money?" This seemed rational at the time, especially considering the labor dispute I had just encountered with my employee/friends who didn't take well to treating me as their boss. So, I fired everyone, and the whole thing when down in a blaze of glory. My most loyal customers stayed with me for a little while, but soon it was all over.

Despite my business management FAILURE, I had uncovered a hidden passion. It took me a long time to realize the true benefit of this passion; in the process of doing so, my life has become so much more rich and fulfilling. I have often thought about a popular quote referenced often by members of the faith I espouse: "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." With all the struggles and suffering that life brings to so many people, it is hard to miss the meaning of these inspired words. Yet, I have found a deep and abiding sense of pleasure in fulfilling the minimum requirements of sustaining life. That is what I love the most about cooking; anyone can find pleasure in it, no matter one's circumstances.

I must admit that my education has influenced how I approach cooking. I have just spent three years learning to be a physicist; the next three years I will be learning to be a lawyer. My style and technique, as you will find, reflect my training and personality. In essence, I try to use basic principles and practices as my starting-point, and I embellish according to my desired outcomes. My biggest weakness, though, has always been presentation. I know, I know, who is going to want to eat a dish that doesn't look appetizing, right? Well, that is partly what this blog is about. My intent is to share what I learn, as I learn it, to contribute to and draw from the vast knowledge base I have access to through this platform. I appreciate comments, compliments, questions, and useful criticisms.