ground rules

I'm starting to get the hang of this blog.  There's still a lot I want to change design-wise, but that will come with time.  As for now, though, I want to lay out my goals for this blog, and explain what I'm all about.  And hopefully you'll share some of my interests and want to keep reading and try some of my recipes...

As you can guess with the name of this blog, I want to try to share with you not only my own recipes, but also some great wines that I have tried and that pair well with some of the dishes that I make.  You should probably be aware of some of my likes and dislikes before we form a deep relationship, since I'm not likely going to create recipes with things I don't really fancy.  But who knows, maybe if the right thing strikes my fancy I could widen my horizons.  This whole blog thing already makes me feel more open minded.

If you ask my family about my taste, they'd tell you that I'm super picky.  But I'd like to think that my tastes have evolved with age and become much more refined and expansive.  However, there are a few things I still can't stand after all of these years:

Onions. I know, this is such a staple in everyday cooking.  And I've made strides with them, really.  I used to pick them out of my meatloaf as a child, and now I can even put them in my spaghetti sauce.  But you'll still never see me put an onion on my burger or concoct a recipe for onion rings.  It just won't happen.

Coconut.  Seriously, I despise coconut.  Except in pina coladas....mmm.  But I guarantee that if a recipe ever calls for it, I will omit that immediately.

Nuts.  This one also dates back to childhood, and again, I've evolved to be more flexible.  But I still despise nuts in my baking - especially in brownies.  If you ask me, the only way to ruin a brownie (other than over baking it, obvi) is to put nuts in them.  Ugh...shudder.

Eggs.  And by this, I mean scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, deviled eggs.  Omelets.  Eggs benedict.  Seriously - anything with a cooked egg.  So if you ever want a recipe for any of the aforementioned meals, don't bother looking here.  I just can't do it.  If, however, you want suggestions on how to make eggs benedict with a Cadbury egg...then I'm your girl.

Alright, I think that covers the initial bases for my severe dislikes.  Now, let's discuss what really gets my heart pitter-pattering in a I-can't-wait-until-I-have-the-chance-to-make-this-again kind of way:

I could out eat you in a sweet eating contest.  I promise.  It's not something I'm proud of, but it's definitely something that I know is my weakness.  I'm powerless in front of a vanilla cupcake mounded with frosting and sprinkles.  Chocolate chip cookies.  Blueberry scones.  Dulce de leche anything.  Brownies.  Fudge.  Ok...I'm stopping now.  You get the point.

The savory things are still great, too.  I love the flavors that go into so many different cultures' food.  I've mastered everything from pizza to hummus to vietnamese catfish.  But when it comes to the savory, I usually try to "scale down" the calorie counter by substituting whole wheat flour for white, part-skim cheeses, and olive oil for butter or canola.  It definitely may fail, but sometimes when it's successful, the feeling of finishing a guilt-free meal just makes it that much more delicious.

As for wine, my wine taste is pretty eclectic. Or at least I think so.  I adore pinot noir, so I'm much more of a fruity, cherry, less-tannin-y type of red wine drinker.  Therefore, no merlot for me.  That stuff is just too dry and intense.  I am much more partial to red wine, but I do adore pinot grigio with the right meal and time of year.  I absolutely refuse to drink white zinfandel or anything in a box (clearly, but again, just had to state it for the record.)  Some of my favorite wines that I've ever drank were from the wineries in Traverse City, Michigan - maybe it's just because it's the only wine "country" I've ever visited, but they are damn good wines.  I promise you won't be disappointed by my recommendations.

Please stay tuned for some great recipes...and I promise, lots and lots of pictures.  If I've learned anything from reading over 100 food blogs, it's that nothing convinces me to try a recipe more than close-ups of oozing frosting and a beautiful presentation.

And one last thing: I want to give credit to all of the blogs that I have mentioned here for being such an inspiration to me - who knows where this blog can go, but I am so excited to begin this journey!