Introductory Post

WELCOME TO MY LITTLE PIECE OF CULINARY HEAVEN

[Abandon hope, all picky eaters who enter here...]

Well, well, I supposed that since you've made it to this point, you have established to yourself that you are interested in one or more of the following things:

-to learn new things about food

-to hear one young woman's view on various restaurants in the Northeast US and beyond

-to experiment with various recipes my mind/mother/roommates/friends have created

-to learn the basics of cooking, whether you are a newbie on your own, or attending college and possess your own 'matchbox' kitchen

-to sit back and laugh as I make myself look either far too cocky or idiotic

Let me tell you about myself, so you all know what you are dealing with. My name is Kayla. I am a college student (at the time of the blog's creation), attending college it upstate New York for a digital media / studio art diploma. When I am not out with friends, doing schoolwork, or working on one art project or another, you can find me in the kitchen on online, researching new recipes to try.

I learned to cook mostly from my mother, who was taught by her mother, and the spreading of culinary knowledge across the generations goes on. I feel almost as if I'd let my mother's side of the family down if I didn't know at least something about putting a meal on the table. I have been learning how to cook since around the age of eight. Back then, I was just learning how to make box cupcakes and brownies. Now ready to break out of my adolescence, I have gone from struggling to make cookie dough from scratch, to making rouxs for soups and sauces. Heh, this is only the first post, and out comes the foodie mumbo-jumbo. No worries, it'll get easier as we go along.

My blog will be composed of several parts:

-Restaurant Reviews: My family is constantly traveling, constantly looking to try new restaurants. If you have a specific favorite (please, no TGI Fridays or other chain restaurants), send me the location and name, and I can go there myself. Please keep in mind - my opinion of the place might be the exact opposite of yours. Please don't accuse me of down-talking your favorite hole-in-the-wall. I know I'm no executive chef, but I do have a rather refined palate for someone my age.

-Recipes: Occasionally, I'll try something out in the kitchen. I loooove improvisation, and I can turn most leftovers into something quirky and tasty. If I have something truly revolutionary, I'll put it up. Also, if you have a recipe to share with people, please, by all means. I love trying new things. I'll eat almost anything.

-Foodie Terminology: From mirepoix to beure-blanc... Let's be honest; beginning cooks don't know all that much in regards to vocabulary unless they study the dictionary or watch Food Network religiously. I will have a few posts up, explaining terms used in recipes that I didn't explain previously. Makes everyone's life easier, no?

-Beautiful Basics: Want to learn how long it takes to boil an egg? How long do you cook pasta to keep it al dente? Well, hopefully, these posts will be some of the most helpful to you.

-(COMING SOON) Crazy Campus Cooking: My own little experiment. I know I'm no Emeril Lagase or Rachel Ray, but I figured a cooking show would be kind of fun. I also plan on enlisting the help of my roommates back at school for this section. Teehee. Anything I explain in my videos, be it recipe or terminology, will be put in a blog of its own for you to view. Rewinding a youtube video can be a major pain in the @$$.

-Q & A: Self explanitory. Got a question about cooking? Need help for entertaining? I might be able to help. ^_^

*pants* Whew, that's over with. Now that all this is out of the way, I hope I can be (somewhat) useful for any cooking expeditions, whether inside or out of your own kitchen, that you may embark on. Let the games begin~

Peace, love, and chocolate

Kayla~