Proud Dad

My daughter came to me yesterday and told me that she wanted to be a foodie and that i should be one with her.  Hearing this told me that my wife and I had done at least one thing right in raising our kids.  The event that lead to this revelation on my daughters part was a trip to Whole Foods Market.  My daughter (and youngest son, who wants to join us on our foodie journey) were impressed with the varieties of foods offered, that aren't offered at the neighborhood supermarkets and even more so by the different food samples.  Guacamole, various fruit samples and chips instantly got there attention.  When we got to the cheeses we got a little more adventurous.  My daughter loved the smoked Gouda, but son found it to crunchy.  He was more interested in the sharp cheddar and they both liked the asiago.  We then looked at all the different cheeses and talked about them.  Watching them explore the store was entertaining for both myself and my wife.
We have always encouraged our children to explore the world of food. From young ages we have let them "help" us prepare food whenever they ask to.  They have all been willing to try something new. (Try everything once, the good stuff twice).  At different ages we have met various degrees of Resistance, but we always encourage, never force.  We have also watch several food network shows with them.  We are fans of Alton Brown, Bizarre Foods, Man vs. Foods and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  We find the shows were they go out and find interesting foods better than your traditional cooking show.  We also like the competition shows entertaining, because we like seeing what they do with the ingredients.  And now onto being foodies, and seeing what is out there.  I started this blog last month, not taking into account the Christmas season, but now I have no excuse to not post.  I hope to write at least once a week, and look forward to hearing from you.

An introduction

I love food, always have.  A long time ago, when I was younger I remember always wanting to help in the kitchen and being fascinated by the magic that occurred there.  Watching ingredients, many that alone don't taste that good, come together to create a dish that tastes great amazed me.  I felt that I needed to learn.  Growing up in the New York City area, I was also exposed to foods from many regions.  I remember eating in restaurants that served French, Czech, Chinese, Sushi, Brazilian and many, many more.  While in the military, I was further exposed to food, traveling to 40 states and 9 countries I was able to explore and try food from restaurants and street vendors.
On top of of trying many types of food, I also love to cook.  Working in a firehouse for 10 years, as well as being the father of 4, has taught me to cook for people that are not afraid to let you know if you have messed up.  First with cookbooks and cooking shows and later with the internet, I try and find different foods to prepare.  I also have my staples that I prepare, but I always tamper with them in some way. 
In this blog, I plan to discuss recipes, talk about places I have eaten, and review cookbooks and shows I have come across.  I hope to hear from anyone who reads this.  Until the next time.