In The Raw!

I love the fact that everyone is getting on the food bandwagon these days. Hop aboard! If it isn’t about something you have cooked, it’s all about the great dinner you had over at sister Mary’s house last week. Your brother-in-law Phil happens to be the chef that everyone wants in their own kitchen. He can be for a price. He is however not giving out any of his recipes - I am certain of it! It’s the TLC and his heritage that makes his brand of cooking the best in my world. Believe me, I can try to cook his recipes and they do not even taste the same. May have something to do with the fact that I don’t have a drop of Italian blood running through my veins.

One of the women I am in school with did not realize what she could do until she discovered that everyone loved her pound cakes and she could cook those cakes instead of being in an office from 8-5. Love that food gives people creative options to make a living and also have a whole lot more fun.

I ride the train with a friend whose mother cooks a new recipe every day and sends it out to all of her friends. Although I am now on her email list, I will confess that this woman happens to be at the top of my A list. That takes dedication and a whole lot of talent to do this day in and day out. I thought that my new recipe every Sunday was impressive with over 2,000 and counting but I don’t even come close. There are thousands of women out there who do this every day just for the love of it. I acknowledgment you and encourage you to keep it going. So many people have become great cooks because of you and you probably don’t even realize it.

My friend Marlene sends me blog -worthy material every week. I love friends like her who feed my desire to bring you the newest, best and sometimes funniest information out there to make your own cooking talents a thing that you can share with your own universe.

Although a lot of it has to do with the state of the economy right now, more of it has to do with the fact that the internet has made cooking, eating and sharing food with friends so available. There are food blogs, recipe sites, meetups, restaurant reviews with reader feedback…OMG, the list is endless. TV show like Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, One Plate at a Time and Check Please. I watch each and every show and take notes religiously – is that something that only foodies do? You tell me and yes…I know I have to get over that! Give me about 20 years.

Cooks are also highly educated these days traveling abroad, going to cooking classes, reading vintage and contemporary cookbooks, following current trends and also previous generations. Just trying to duplicate my grandmother’s butter Christmas cookie recipe has kept me an inspired cook for years.

Since I started connecting with people all over the world to do a series on international cooking schools (one coming up next week), I have discovered that our world is teeny-tiny! Yep - can you imagine that a foodie from Bali can connect to introduce me to the world of raw food? Raw Food? Get out of here! I did not have a clue about raw food until I connected with Diana.

Raw? …now I am just trying to digest it all.

Bon Appetit!