Who am I? That is a rather complex question, and I could bore you with a pretentious page of esoteric prose used to convince you of how important I think I am. Instead, I will give you a few simple tidbits. I love to eat, and I love to cook. This is not a new development in my life, but something that was instilled and cultivated from a young age. I started eating as an infant, and haven’t stopped since. My first job was peeling shrimp at a seafood market when I was twelve, my grandmother by my side. I started cooking regularly in my twenties. I have eaten a plethora of delicious food, sometimes expensive, oftentimes cheap. I can get lost in a cookbook the way others get absorbed by fictional literature. I admire cooks, both professionals and those who put dinner on the table at home. Some of my fondest and most vivid memories involve eating with those I love. I believe that food is the single best way to bridge the gap amongst very different people. Music and food go hand in hand for me, two loves never far apart, a soundtrack that is as varied as the things I eat. The story of food makes me write, the love of food makes me cook, and making sure to laugh makes both a whole lot more enjoyable.
The following things are random facts that may or may not help you understand who I am--
-Though I currently reside in New York City, I am a devout fan of Boston sports teams, having grown up in New England. I wear a Boston Red Sox hat with pride as I stroll the streets of the Big Apple. This can lead to some interesting encounters.
-I am enamored with Asian food, but I do not discriminate on the basis of supposed authenticity. I will pound an order of General Tso's with delight, as quickly as I will eat traditional soba in all is simplistic splendor.
-I am not a professional cook, but have probably read more food literature and cookbooks than the average person cooking your food at a restaurant. This does not make me special, neither does it make me an academic. What it makes me is a person who really appreciates books, and really enjoys food. These two things have combined to form a bit of an obsession with the written word as it relates to food. This can, at times, become problematic.
-I love music as much as I love food, and to me they go together like peanut butter and jelly. Actually, that is a silly analogy because I have never been particularly fond of PB and J. I enjoy listening to music while I cook. I enjoy listening to music while I eat. And I enjoy listening to music when I write, as is evidenced by the fact that I am pumping Led Zeppelin II as I type these words.
-I am overly fond of my own opinions, and my dream occupation is to be a talking head. a pundit, or if you prefer, 'expert' (which is a stupid thing to call it). In other words, I enjoy hearing my own voice, and rarely at a loss for two cents to add to a discussion. I am working on this because it can occasionally piss people off.
