Why cookbooks, a blog, and more?
The road leading to this addictive, professional hobby contains a variety of threads twisted together into a hank of kitchen twine. I express so many different influences reviewing, making recipes, creating recipes, and exploring food opinions--mine and others.
I started cooking for my family in grade school. Mom's rule was the cook didn't have to do dishes. I still hate doing dishes; I love my dishwasher. Still, most of the time I hand wash my knives and baking stones. The cast iron always gets treated by hand.
My family also got me started with books. The pissed-off new student who discovered our local school didn't teach reading in Kindergarten is now a tale of legendary size. Mom and Dad were both librarians. Libri Amor is bred into our genes in my family. Combining the creative pleasure of cooking, my huge joy over feeding family and friends, combined with one of may favorite hobbies (okay, I admit, addiction) collecting books, is the first hank of twine bound into the pleasure and passion I experience working with new cookbooks.
Cooking also satisfies my inner over-achiever. A partner in a horrid relationship actually noticed how much cooking meant to me. Working a high-paying consulting gig meant dealing with demanding projects, insane deadlines and impossible politics. Those evenings when things were the most out of control I walked in the door and went straight to the kitchen. He would watch me chop, mix, bake, saute, and every other messy thing only where I eventually relaxed some time later after completing one, two, or even three recipes. One day, he pointed out what I was doing.
A project I could control, complete in a short period of time, and even get the reward of experiencing the final results. Worst case scenario failure went in the trash. No Vice President or other C-suite resident ever saw the problems. It was up to me; no one else was needed to reach my goal.
Today, time in the kitchen continues to fulfill, relax, and recharge my battery. I have no interest in spending my time and energy in a professional kitchen. It's a pleasure to pay for the privilege of visiting other's tables for professional experiences. My friends and family never wonder when they visit if they will be welcome, have great food, and a table of simple, relaxed elegance. So another twisted strand joins the warp of the cotton twine leading to my time with cookbooks, food, recipes and loved ones.
The last strand is big picture and personal concerns. In the past year I took gluten and soy out of my diet for health reasons. I discovered local farmers and sources. At home and with our friends the economic changes show up in food.
Cooking at home is less expensive. The food is more nutritious. It tastes better. And can be a completely different kind of fun. The kind of fun that is deeper, earthier, and connects you with those in your life.
DISCLAIMER: I do not buy the cookbooks reviewed on this site (except in rare cases that will be identified in the review). I get them free from publishers, authors, or the library. I do not promise anyone who sends me a book a favorable review. Often I wish I could a higher opinion than the published material justifies. (I'll tell you that to, when it happens.) In a very rare case--it's happened once--when I couldn't come up with anything nice to say about a book I shipped back to the author who had self-published her book.
I am always looking for books and products to review. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you want your book or product reviewed. Product reviews often generate new recipes from my kitchen, so it's one of the reasons I love doing it. You never know what, where or when inspiration will strike!
--Heidi Sue Roth
I started cooking for my family in grade school. Mom's rule was the cook didn't have to do dishes. I still hate doing dishes; I love my dishwasher. Still, most of the time I hand wash my knives and baking stones. The cast iron always gets treated by hand.
My family also got me started with books. The pissed-off new student who discovered our local school didn't teach reading in Kindergarten is now a tale of legendary size. Mom and Dad were both librarians. Libri Amor is bred into our genes in my family. Combining the creative pleasure of cooking, my huge joy over feeding family and friends, combined with one of may favorite hobbies (okay, I admit, addiction) collecting books, is the first hank of twine bound into the pleasure and passion I experience working with new cookbooks.
Cooking also satisfies my inner over-achiever. A partner in a horrid relationship actually noticed how much cooking meant to me. Working a high-paying consulting gig meant dealing with demanding projects, insane deadlines and impossible politics. Those evenings when things were the most out of control I walked in the door and went straight to the kitchen. He would watch me chop, mix, bake, saute, and every other messy thing only where I eventually relaxed some time later after completing one, two, or even three recipes. One day, he pointed out what I was doing.
A project I could control, complete in a short period of time, and even get the reward of experiencing the final results. Worst case scenario failure went in the trash. No Vice President or other C-suite resident ever saw the problems. It was up to me; no one else was needed to reach my goal.
Today, time in the kitchen continues to fulfill, relax, and recharge my battery. I have no interest in spending my time and energy in a professional kitchen. It's a pleasure to pay for the privilege of visiting other's tables for professional experiences. My friends and family never wonder when they visit if they will be welcome, have great food, and a table of simple, relaxed elegance. So another twisted strand joins the warp of the cotton twine leading to my time with cookbooks, food, recipes and loved ones.
The last strand is big picture and personal concerns. In the past year I took gluten and soy out of my diet for health reasons. I discovered local farmers and sources. At home and with our friends the economic changes show up in food.
Cooking at home is less expensive. The food is more nutritious. It tastes better. And can be a completely different kind of fun. The kind of fun that is deeper, earthier, and connects you with those in your life.
DISCLAIMER: I do not buy the cookbooks reviewed on this site (except in rare cases that will be identified in the review). I get them free from publishers, authors, or the library. I do not promise anyone who sends me a book a favorable review. Often I wish I could a higher opinion than the published material justifies. (I'll tell you that to, when it happens.) In a very rare case--it's happened once--when I couldn't come up with anything nice to say about a book I shipped back to the author who had self-published her book.
I am always looking for books and products to review. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you want your book or product reviewed. Product reviews often generate new recipes from my kitchen, so it's one of the reasons I love doing it. You never know what, where or when inspiration will strike!
--Heidi Sue Roth