Since this is my entrance to the blogging universe, I thought it only appropriate to frame the context of my potential future posts. First and foremost, I am someone who loves to eat. Since I was a baby, I have been consumed by the enjoyment of food. Those times when I am not eating, I am always wondering about what to eat next and when. I suppose it has abated somewhat as I have aged, but not to any great degree. It has lessened just enough to make room for my number one hobby - cooking. So I am sure most think, of course if he loves to eat he also loves to cook - for himself. Surprisingly, a good bit of the food I cook will be consumed entirely by others. If I am working a tried and true recipe, I may not even taste a sample.
Though cooking is not my profession, it has certainly become my mission. I have no formal culinary training. All that I know I have learned from others. One or two have been trained professional chefs, but most are folks just like me. They have a love of food and a desire to serve others. We all strive to bring the same creativity and passion to the kitchen as anyone who counts it as their vocation. That is why I used the term "Shade Tree" in my blog title. I want folks to be aware I am not a trained professional in this area. Maybe just a semi-pro. -wink,wink-
The are likely a scant few individuals who really care to read a steady diet of my cooking exploits if I'm not continuously sharing original recipe content and timely tips. Could start to feel like a bad round of re-runs on cable TV. So I will also be detailing my adventures at local restaurants. Of course it will be local establishments around Central Ohio and not national chain restaurants. It will be a good variety, but not anyplace the only serves vegan fare or raw seafood. These are two types of food I have never enjoyed. I am a carnivore to the core. When I come to town, cows start to shiver and chickens and pigs run for cover. While I enjoy those naughty carbs too, I have been steering more towards just meat and veggies lately. This doesn't mean I am health-food conscious. I am "good food" conscious. I only eat things I enjoy. If it also happens to be what someone considers healthy, so much the better. Life's too short to eat bad tasting food, no matter how healthy someone says it is. When I share my dining experiences it will only be with a slightly critical approach. I will describe in a palatable amount of detail what I enjoyed (or didn't enjoy), but will by no means attempt to sample the entire menu in one visit or evaluate the offerings from every possible angle. Any comments on atmosphere will be limited. Price does matter to me. Which means some of my favorite restaurants aren't necessarily the absolute best, but they are the best at a price I am willing to pay on a regular basis. I won't travel just to visit restaurants and add reviews to the blog, but if do happen to take a trip I will certainly enjoy the local flavor and share my findings. I tend to do a good bit of research in advance. Hopefully, as folks begin to read what I write, I can get some feedback about possible locations when I am in unfamiliar territory. I like to scout locations online in advance wherever possible. I check the hours and take a peek at the menus to see if their offerings interest me and if it is convenient to where I will be staying. That last criteria has caused more than a couple of missed opportunities. Southern California traffic means it must be REALLY CLOSE to where you are staying to be considered remotely convenient.
I am sure I will add some flavor to my entries by sharing humorous tales along the way. For instance, the one about the hotel concierge in New Orleans. I told her it was my first visit to NOLA and I loved good southern-fried chicken. She said she knew just the place, pulled out a map and spent several minutes providing detailed instructions on how to walk from the hotel to the restaurant. At the end of these instructions, she drew a circle on the map at the end of the route and said it's called "KFC." I was shell-shocked. At least if she had directed me to Popeye's, I would be visiting a local restaurant. Locals will tell you it is better there than the Popeye's restaurants outside of NOLA. Rather than argue about it or embarrass her in front of other guests, I took the map, thanked her... And walked across the street to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Hardly just a local restaurant anymore, but Ruth did get her start in NOLA. Ruth has definitely not lost her touch. I could've licked the plate clean at the end. Way better than a long walk to KFC. No disrespect to the Colonel. Found out later that Willy May's Scotch House (sp?) was the place to go for fried chicken. On the list for my next visit to NOLA.
Hopefully, this provides a good amount of context to future entries of this blog. I'll be visiting The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek tomorrow night for the first time. I am not a whiskey drinker, so don't expect any bourbon reviews. I may go crazy and try the filet instead of my favorite cut of beef on the opposite end of the spectrum... strip steak... Look for details on that tomorrow night...
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