Who Am I to Write a Cooking Blog?!?

I didn't marry until two months before my 25^th birthday.  As a bachelor, I fed myself about as much as I ate out.  Even though I did some cooking, I can't say that I cooked very well at that time.  Rather than saying that my meals were appealing, it would be more accurate to simply say that they were nutritious and edible.  Many of my meals were frozen -- or Some-Type-of-Meat Helpers which were prepared out of a box.

In my marriage, we followed the "traditional" roles in many things.  For one, my wife did the bulk of the cooking.  I did continue to cook occasionally, and I had a few dishes which were my "specialties."  I would also sometimes look through a cookbook and find a new recipe which we would add to the rotation of meals that we prepared.  In that way, at least, I was a little more adventurous than my wife -- I was typically the one who would discover and attempt something new.

I can say that my cooking became better with time … particularly in the past half decade or so.  I have continued to experiment, and I have continued to learn new things.  I have tried a wider variety of dishes, and in the process I have learned about flavors and spices.  I can now say that my cooking typically turns out pretty darned good.

What I found interesting, though, was when my teenage son began saying that he liked my cooking better than his mother's.  I heard this for at least a year before it occurred to me to try to determine why.  After thinking it through, I think I have found the answer.

Understand that I am not a gourmet chef, by any stretch of the imagination.  I'm not sure I would even dare to call myself an experienced cook -- although I do cook regularly now.  I often prepare a casserole of some type, but I only occasionally prepare a meal out of a box.  And I think that the difference is precisely the fact that my recipes aren't complex, but they include ingredients which make them tasty.  By contrast, my son's mother often cooks a boxed or frozen meal.  Even when she does use a recipe, much of her cooking could be described as bland.

Cooking does not have to be difficult … although it does require a bit of time to prepare a decent meal.  I have learned that cooking can be learned -- even on one's own -- and even by a guy that doesn't have much of a background in the kitchen.  The goal of this blog will be to pass along some of what I've learned … thinking primarily of single dads who want to be able to prepare good, nutritious meals.

Others can utilize this information, of course.  Whoever you happen to be, and whatever skills you bring to the kitchen, I hope that I can help you to learn new things and to be proud of your ability to put a delicious meal on the table.