And so, it begins...

So this is it.  I have been tinkering around with the idea to start a food blog for a few weeks now, and I have even been taking photos of all of the things I've cooked that way I have things to post here.  I mean, it only makes sense -

I
Love
Food.

The first word that come to mind for me when I think of food is: Therapeutic.

I cook to relax (I know, weird right?), I cook to celebrate, I cook to reduce stress, I cook when I'm happy, I cook when I'm bored and I eat for the same reasons...which means I have to work out all the time otherwise I'd be morbidly obese.

 But I can't help it. I love it, and I know that a major part of why I love it so much is because it allows me to express a creative side of myself that I don't really express in other aspects of life.  And I know I'm not the only one out there that feels this way.

As my entries gather speed and numbers, some of my food items may....emphasis on MAY come with a recipe and some won't. This will pretty much be determined by how proud I am of any specific dish.  If it was a particularly difficult technique that I used, I will have absolutely no problem sharing it (maybe you can help me make that technique easier if you're better at it than I am) and I welcome ALL comments and input. I would LOVE to hear from you, who knows, I may have you over for dinner one night and you can tell me if I'm really as good as I think I am!

So here goes: the first post/pic of the food blog.

Tonight's Dinner was pretty good.

Menu:
Angus Beef Chipotle Cheddar/Bacon Burger with Caramelized Onions
Parmesan Truffle Frites with Garlic-Chive Aioli
Banana Cream Parfait with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Carmel Apple Martini

I figured out that the real trick to crispy frites a.k.a. fries (I just wanted to sound fancy) is to soak the potatoes in ice cold water before frying to remove some of the starch - and don't forget to dry them before you put them in the oil. The second trick is to double fry them. After you take them out of the oil and let them drain a bit, give them a second fry and this gives them that extra crunch you get in restaurants.

No real trick here, just layering the ingredients for a cool presentation is the only thing I would suggest.  Dark chocolate shavings make for a really interesting/delicious garnish.

I can give out this recipe, Its not like you wouldn't be able to look it up online anyway.

plus I'm a nice guy and I like to share:

-1 shot of Apple Vodka - I used Smirnoff

-1 Shot of Apple Puckers - It enhances the sweetness in the apple and gives it that green "glow"

-1 shot of Buttershots - This is what gives it that Caramel flavor.

Combine them all in a martini shaker with ice and shake it like it owes you money.

Pour it in a martini glass with an Apple Garnish (sometimes I use an actual caramel sauce drizzled along the inside of the glass) and you will be impressing people every time you serve it.

I know I have.

Hopefully this first post is entertaining enough and gave you a few things to think about trying yourself in the future. If you have stuck with me this far, THANKS!!

Til next time,

Eat Well.