I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
Talking about food from the depths of Napa Valley, California
This is my letter on Substack, where I plan on sharing my thoughts on cooking. This is not for folks who worship at the French Laundry, these are recipes the average person with an run-of-the-mill kitchen can follow and turn out some great meals. Usually they provide enough food for four to six so if it’s just you and the cat, that’s alright: you can freeze some for another night, have it for lunch the next day, offer it to the neighbor who seems nice but never seems to cook.
Why am I qualified to give you advice? By the time I got out of the Navy, I had traveled a bit and found I enjoyed going out for good food but that I couldn’t afford that every night. So, I began collecting books then I took a four part cooking course at Marx Bros. Cafe in Anchorage, AK (yep, a long story on how I landed there but for another time.) I realized I could actually make something that someone else would eat: it seemed like a gift. So, whenever I went on vacation, I would take a local cooking course. Not only do you learn something that you can bring back from the vacation that doesn’t have to fit in your suitcase, you get to meet local people and ask questions. I’ve been doing this vacation/cooking school combination for more than 30 years, so knowledge gradually accumulated and eventually as I followed an instructor in Italy or Spain or wherever I’m visiting, I realized that I know this already.
So, now, I write about food for my hometown newspaper, the Napa Valley Register. Am I qualified to be telling chefs at Michelin starred restaurants here in the valley what to do? Nope, this is for home cooks who have to turn out a meal for a friend, a spouse. a family. This is simply home cooking.