…Or at least a competent vegetarian cook

Mark Bittman will be my guide.  We will go on this journey together.  I own two of his books (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and  Food Matters). I also read the New York Times column/blog which he writes.  This is a man who knows how to cook like a painter knows how to paint.  I believe he raises cooking to a creative art form.  This idea is what has brought me on this journey, cooking can be creative.  I have always been a recipe follower, a baker, fond of precise measurements.  Now I see a glimmer of what it takes to be the kind of cook that looks at what is in the fridge or seasonally available at the farmers market, and whips together a balanced satisfying meal.  I will study the basics of how to's, try them out, and then have an arsenal of techniques at my disposal.

I debated how to go about this process.  First, I thought of the "Julie and Julia" style, one recipe at a time.  I don't have the patience or organizational skills to do this.  In Bittman's book Food Matters, he discusses basics you need to know how to do.  These are like cooking any grain, cooking veggies, beans, tomato sauce, salsa, etc.  This seems like a good place to start.  However, they are guidelines for a variety of different grains and veggies.  You practice as you go with different types.  This is as far away from recipe following as I can get.

Second, I did not want to run out and get all the ingredients I need.  So, the challenge is to use up what I have.  I wrote down all the grains, veggies, fruit, etc. in the house right now. Then in the future, shop for what looks good and what I want to experiment with.

My intention by starting this journey is to eat healthier, buy less packaged food, develop another creative outlet, and have fun.

Here's to the produce from the farmer's market!

Here we go...