What are you HUNGRY for??

Hello there!

My name is Sarah and I love to cook tasty food.

For as long as I can remember one of my favorite things to do has been cook. Growing up, some of my favorite memories were cooking with my mom. Whenever I have spare time (or not), one of the first things I think is "I want to make something yummy to put in my tummy!" So off to the kitchen I go, rummaging through the pantry and fridge to see what I have to work with. Usually, this is followed by a whole bunch of Goggling to see if there are any existing recipes for what I have set my heart on.

My obsession wasn't too demanding at first, just find a recipe, follow it, and hope it turns out... but after many failures and dishes that were lacking... something. I decided, if the recipes I found weren't good enough, I would just make up my own! It took a long time for me to get enough confidence in the kitchen to deviate from a recipe someone (I assumed was) more experienced than me had created. But after a while, I realized the dishes I did change I enjoyed much more, not only because it tasted better, but because I put more creative energy into it. I made it my own, and therefore, I felt more rewarded by the product and more motivated to do it again.

Now, that is not to say all the things I make turn out... it usually takes a few times before I have the ingredients and process tweaked to the point I am comfortable sharing it with anyone (other than my boyfriend/guinea pig). Most of my recipes are still, and maybe always will be, works in progress. Once I started doing this regularly, I started to think, the people creating these recipes I find aren't necessarily better cooks than me... they certainly don't know what I like--who says I have to cook by the book?! Isn't that what life is all about--breaking the rules, trying something new, and (hopefully) creating something beautiful!?

A long time ago, I was watching Anthony Bourdain (love him!). He was in some distant, exotic land, and there was a lady making food for him and her family. In her kitchen, she had a sign that said "What are you hungry for?" But, she didn't just mean food--she meant in life. What am I hungry for?.... Hmm, that is a good question! I am hungry to share the things that I love and the things that I have learned with others. Hungry to learn more, keep growing, and continue improving in all areas of my life.

That is where this blog comes in... I cannot just start force feeding everyone I know my "experiments." But, I still get great joy from feeding people. The solution: start writing my recipes down (finally), and sharing them with whomever will listen. My hope is this will also be a tool for me, to collaborate with other cooking enthusiasts willing to share their knowledge.

Welcome, I hope you find something you are hungry for!