Fresh Cracked Pepper

I worked in restaurants for just shy of a decade. From lakeside diners to mountain lodges and urban bistros, I don’t know if there’s another phrase I’ve uttered more often than this one, fresh cracked pepper? Three simple words, yet I was saying so much more: Can I help bring out those flavours? Will you let me enhance your meal? May I spoil you just once more?

So here is all the fresh cracked pepper I have to offer, in abundance.

I’ve realized lately that my motivation to contribute to my original blog has waned. It seems that the only thing I have the motivation to write about frivolously and fancifully is, of course, food. I started that weblog, Room for Rambling when I was entering a very transitory period of my life. I started it to keep others in touch. It ended up keeping me anchored and giving me a place to experiment with ideas. It ended up becoming something that encouraged me to do what I love — write — when I had no place else to do it.

And so it came to be that I settled down a little. I found a person and a place (albeit temporary) to call home for awhile. In the heart of both of those is a deep love for good food. Whether or not it’s a good thing, my writers’ journal had to move over and share some space with my kitchen. Inspired by the thousands of scrumptious recipes simmering away on all those great food blogs out there, I decided that my culinary adventures needed a more permanent home as well.

I give you fresh cracked pepper, my very own record of discoveries, failures and victories in mi cochina — all of which I’d like to track and share. How many times have you said “I’ve got to make this recipe again!” and then lost track of it? Or what about the time you took a fabulous appetizer to a party and felt, for one glorious moment, more magnetic than Audrey Hepburn? Wouldn’t you like to be able to take that same dish to the potluck lunch meeting next Friday you’re a little nervous about?

Food is powerful, memorable, and fun. Here, I want to let these things play. It may not be gourmet or even pretty, but play it will. So tie your napkin ’round your neck . . .

On the side bar, I’ve set up some additional pages for your perusal, including logs of our coffee roasting, wine, beer, scotch, and chocolate discoveries. There you’ll also find links to all my recipes, products I like, and cookbooks I follow slavishly.

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy trying, tasting, and photographing my works-in-progress. If the site is too small for you to comfortably view, press Ctrl + on your keyboard. Thanks!

-jen

picture courtesy of David Hagerman Photography