The year was 1964. I was eight years old and homebound, recovering from a kidney ailment. In ‘64 there was no daytime television for a kid. No, Nickelodeon, no Disney Channel, no VHS tapes or DVDs. Though I was recovering, I was not ailing. I had all the energy any eight year old would have.
That is when I was exposed to the art and science that were in the kitchen. This was the sunrise of my culinary curiosities and wonderment.
I was always a terrible student. Today they have the diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia, but in the mid 60’s the only resources were letters home to my parents and the threat of blemishes to my permanent record.
Fast forward to when I decided that college was not for me. Someone told me about a culinary school 90 miles up the Hudson from New York City called The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). I drove the hour and a half upstate to take a tour of the campus. I never wanted to go to school before, but this campus/institute spoke to me.
The two years at the CIA opened my heart and mind to the culinary world. Like I said, I have been cooking since I was 8, but now at the age of 24 my curiosities found fertile soil to blossom in.
After graduation I worked as a chef in a variety of kitchens and a variety of cuisines. If there is one axiom in the world of cooking it is: ask 3 chefs how to boil water and you will get 5 recipes. And, yes, I have my recipe for boiling water.
I had every imaginable position in the kitchen, from pot washer to executive chef and eventually becoming an owner operator. It is a crazy life. While it might not be quite as stressful and intense as the work of first responders and our military personnel, working in a kitchen is a daily adrenaline high that is addictive.
I was 35 when my second child was born. I loved being a dad and that is where the internal conflict began. The restaurant game will consume every waking hour. And being a father also consumes all of your time. In my mind, I had to choose, and I chose being a dad. I hung up my apron and became a stock broker. (But that is a story for another time.)
I might have left the industry but cooking never left me. Over the years I used my skills for the benefit of others. Cooking a fundraising banquet for 30 to 400 people was not uncommon. When my kids were 5 and 9 we would cook dinner for a woman’s shelter once a month. It was a great bonding experience for the three of us but more importantly, it was an opportunity to teach my kids about generosity, kindness, and giving back.
After September 11th, we adopted a local firehouse and cooked dinner for them once a month for a few years. Every month we would find a ‘theme’ for the menu. Holidays we would invite the firefighters’ families. Our family developed a strong sense of community with these brave public servants.
Who doesn’t like BBQing and smoking? I am no different than you. In an effort to up my Q game, I joined The Kansas City BBQ Society and got certified as a competition judge. I have traveled around the country judging the BBQ competitions you see on TV. Getting back to my boiling water analogy, there are hundreds of BBQ competition teams in the USA. Every team has their style, philosophy, and science for Q’ing. There are four categories you are required to present to the judges: chicken, pork shoulder, pork ribs, and brisket. During my tenure of being a BBQ judge I have tasted many hundreds of ways to do something as simple as cooking something low and slow.
During the COVID pandemic, I started watching Chef Eric’s YouTube videos on charcuterie. To say I got inspired would be an understatement. I eventually built a professional charcuterie kitchen in my basement. From an industrial meal ager to a Hobart 10 inch slicer. No Foodsaver vacuum sealer for me, I bought an industrial VacMaster vacuum sealer. Poke around the site you will find videos of my kitchen.
Why did I build this site? Good question. This is not an effort to monetize my culinary history. It started out a legacy project, something to leave behind for family and friends. In the database of this site there are over a thousand recipes. Some are clippings that I put my own touch on, others are personal creations, and others are recipes I learned while traveling the world.
Why this site? Because sharing a meal with strangers, family, or friends binds us to each other like nothing else.
