Inspiration for the Blog

I love to cook, and I read lots of cookbooks, gourmet magazines and watch Food Network a lot. When I was a kid, I used to wake up way too early for my parents, and they trained me to turn on PBS at 4:00 a.m. until they got up. I not only watched Sesame Street and Richard Simmons in those early mornings, I managed to get hooked on PBS and watched hours of Yan Can Cook, Justin Wilson, Julia Childs, Graham Kerr, and whoever else was on that channel back in the early 80s. I had a well-rounded television education of physical fitness, ABCs and 123s, and cooking.

My mom cooked and her mom cooked. My dad's mom could burn water, but her mother was fantastic in the kitchen. I learned, stepping up on a stool and rolling up my sleeves in their kitchens. My grandma had me flipping perfect eggs over easy by the time I was six or seven. I knew how to make stuffed peppers at eight. My mom let me help with cookies and mixing meatloaf or peeling potatoes. When my mom was gone on a trip, I pulled out Justin Wilson's cook book and made Jambalaya for my dad as a teenager. My sister always loved my tuna noodle salad, even though they all know how to make it too. My great-grandma taught me to put pickle juice in it, and somehow they think mine is better. Wink wink.

There was a Sex in the City episode where Carrie's boyfriend moved in with her and she lamented no longer being able to do things like eat something quickly and without manners over the sink when she got in the door. When the title came to me, it was because that's what we single folks do. We quickly grab a bite of this or make a pot of that, and we don't worry too much about coordinating the napkin rings or taking time to savor every bite. Eating can be like a chore when you live alone, but cooking for others is a delight. I try to make some meals a self-care ritual, with a good recipe, quality ingredients, a glass of wine and perhaps even a seat while I eat one bite at a time without multi-tasking...even when I eat alone on a weeknight.

I will share some of my cooking experiences, some of my masterpieces and flops, and some of my loved ones' experiences too, reviews of places I go and products I use, and the fun I have in the process of putting meals together and eating, alone or with company.

Thanks for stopping by.