here's to new beginnings...

I've decided to start a blog because my kitchen drawer is starting to overflow with too many recipes. They are scribbled on bits and pieces of paper, receipts, even a few napkins. Most of them are covered in stains that mark a successfully made meal, their edges curled over with too much use.

For me, cooking is a daily ritual. It's like breathing. I can't go on without it! It makes me sad when people are afraid to use their own kitchen, or when they say things like "I don't have time to cook" or "It's too complicated". The thing is, cooking can be anything you want it to be. It can be a slow meal, simmering all day in a giant pot; or it can be a quick fix when you're in a hurry but is just as delicious. Either way, cooking doesn't have to be complicated and ANYONE can make time in their lives to enjoy a home-cooked meal.

After years of cooking for family and friends and seeing their faces light up from something they've just tasted, I've realized that I want to share the joy of cooking on a much bigger level. I want to share it with all of you. This will be a place where you can find recipes for meals that make you feel good, on the inside and the outside- whether it entails fresh vegetables from the summer farmer's market or making use of your pantry by sprucing up winter dishes with spices.

Renaissance means 'rebirth'. I want this blog to be a way for me to share some ubelievable food memories, in hopes that the rest of you will make your own, creating your own "renaissance in the kitchen".