Welcome

I set up this blog primarily so my friend Tom and I could trade recipes, and make notes about restaurants we have tried.  Living in the Bay Area, we have access to some of the country's best restaurants and ingredients, and we both like to cook.  I like to cook, and I like to read about cooking; but Tom is - by far - the better, more knowledgable, more experienced cook.  He reads and re-reads cookbooks cover to cover like they are favorite novels. I have a lot of respect for recipes and the years of love and research behind them, but ultimately my favorite recipes are the ones that are simply guides, not dogma.  I have favorite recipes, but I'm not strict about them - my favorites are those I've made so many times I know whether I can swap ingredients, and measure by eyeball or taste. In this blog, I'm going to post my favorite recipes - tried and true sentimental favorites, comfort foods, and fancier stuff - and trade recipes and restaurant memories with Tom. Welcome to my kitchen.