Welcome! Bienvenue! Karibu! Benvenuti! Huanying! Bienvenido!...

So what inspired me to start this blog?  Well perhaps the idea was spawned while I was cleaning out my parent’s pantry the other day.  Do you think condensed milk “best used before 2004” is still good?  Or maybe I decided to do it while watching Season 8 of Hell’s Kitchen (only the best reality show on television).  But actually, as I think about it, I really got the idea when I found some incredible bargains on foodstuffs in a store you would never imagine looking in for food.  More on that later.  In fact, it’s a blog.

I’ve always believed that you can work at, write about and generally share knowledge with others about anything you have a passion for.  I have a passion for food, fine dining, and cooking.  It runs in the family.  My dad cooked every now and then.  I cook on a regular basis.  And now my son is studying at the California Culinary Academy (Le Cordon Bleu) in San Francisco.  His mom is a great chef too.  I’ll see if I can talk either of them into writing a few blogs.  In fact, I’d welcome any of you who would like to be guest bloggers.  Just ask.  I plan on writing about twice a week to start.

So what will I write about?  Well this blog will not consist of lengthy stories but rather be short snippets of information; short enough so that you can read it in spite of your hectic schedule.  I’ll still try to interject an occasional amusing anecdote or personal horror story.  I hope to have readers from all over the world so I’ll try to stay as international as possible.  How could I leave pilau or roasted goat out of my blog?  How could I omit our London trip to Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood Cafe?  Besides, tips about cooking are universal right?

Am I an expert chef?  No way but I have learned enough and practices enough to believe I can be informative and entertaining.  I graduated from French Culinary Skills I, II and III but you’ll hear more common sense info from me than French cooking skills.  As a preview, here are some of the titles of written or soon to be written blogs: “That’s what your Cardamom said last night”, “Beurre Manier…It’s not just for breakfast anymore”, “Spin class for the poor”, “How Pilau?” …and many more.

I have three more important things to tell you. 1) I need to you follow me on this blog so please, please, please if you read it, take a second to click on the “Follow Me” link.  It will help establish this blog’s readership. You can follow publicly or privately.  2) I’m not doing this to make money but I want to disclose that I will do some product placement when appropriate.  I will only promote products/stores that I truly believe in.  It’s invisible to you and helps me only if you click and purchase.  3) I am committed to raising money for my friends who remain in Kenya doing the most difficult jobs in the world; working with orphans.  If you donate to keep me writing, they will also benefit.  See their links at the bottom of my page.

Well there it is.  The start of a beautiful thing?  We’ll see…