Whether your
love or loathe your own, there's no shaking a name. From our first moments on
earth to our last, we are called by it, loved by it and defined by it. Which is
why, when it comes to naming my brand-new blog chronicling adventures and
mis-adventures in cooking, the name was a conundrum. (So much a conundrum, in
fact, that a draft just sat in my email for weeks, the more weeks and perhaps
then months, piling up with name ideas; I now predict my first-born child will
be nameless for at least 3 months.)
So, as much as I
believe 'Fork It Over' will be a fitting standard-bearer for what's to come
here (more on that in a minute), perhaps the rejected and cast-aside names can
also help tell the story of who I am—in both the kitchen and in life.
Everything In the Kitchen Sink
As
a cook, I apply to the theory that the better the meal, most likely the messier
the kitchen. In other words, my kitchen sink often looks like batter-strewn
battleground. Cooking, like life, is often messy—and all the more beautiful for
it. Part of my goal with 'Fork it Over' is to share simple, satisfying recipes,
not perfect ones. I often make mistakes
when cooking, but I hope to instill in both you and myself a fearless abandon
to at least try new recipes, even if sometimes goes wrong.
Kitchen Comforts
My
husband and I live in Seattle, one of the most beautiful, yet wet places in the
country to call home. This climate lends to frequent cravings for comfort food,
dishes that warm the soul and act as a cure-all after stressful workdays: Slow-cooked,
braised meats; simply perfect chicken chili; and revamped Italian staples like
rosemary white chicken lasagna or homemade butternut squash ravioli. From easy,
15-minute recipes to weekend projects, cozy, heartening fare reigns in our
house.
Eat Your Heart Out
Okay,
don't laugh, but I think cooking a meal for someone is one of the greatest ways
to say, 'I love you.' I am infatuated by the connections that happen over a
dinner table; food truly brings us together in a way that almost nothing else
can (okay, perhaps alcohol, but that is a different kind of bonding that
usually ends after a hefty dose of TMI with a perfect stranger). I love entertaining, feeding and making new
friends over food; it is truly where my heart lies.
Big Mouth
What I wrote
above was actually very sweet, wasn't it? Yeah, don't expect too much of that,
because most of my dishes will also be served with a side of sass. If I burn my
arm trying to make caramel (again), I'll have a story to tell about that and
perhaps a practical checklist for you on how to avoid that yourself (don't dip
your finger into it to check the temperature). If I spend an entire day to
hand-cutting ravioli only to discover I sugared, instead of salted it (again),
there will be some ranting. My rampant sarcasm is hard to contain.
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