Cooking = therapy.

Now... depending which side of the fence on which you fall, you had one of three reactions to the subject of this post. You may have simply been blank. Like, "eh, yeah, I guess... maybe... I just kinda cook." Perhaps you cringed and thought to yourself "no effing way." (Ahem, Sara @ Domestically Challenged?) Or, you nodded thoughtfully and said to yourself (or even out loud) "So true... so true..."

I fall into category #3. Cooking for me equals therapy. Sure, there are occasions where I don't feel like cooking, or where it becomes a chore. Everyone has those moments. But for the most part, when I need a bit of an escape, I cook.

I find that when I'm upset, or stressed even, and I stumble upon an entire day to myself, I usually wind up at the grocery store in the morning, stocking up on ingredients for whatever I need for the day. I plan out menus. I wonder what sinful treats I can bake up. I muse at how intoxicating my home will smell once I finish assembling the ingredients for my slow-cooked masterpiece.

The methodic movements of cleaning produce or trimming meat... the rhythmic movement of chopping vegetables... the sound that an ultra-sharp knife makes as it slices effortlessly through onions... the hiss from the onions hitting the hot butter... the smell, OH THE SMELL, as the onions start to caramelize... the constant stirring motion lulling you into an almost rocking chair-like trance... the satisfaction felt at watching the onions develop a deep brown color and at scraping that gorgeous fond off the bottom of the pan...

These are all things that make me happy. It gives me something to fill my time when I'm alone, and allows me to share the end product with friends and family. I love to feed people. I fear that I AM my Grandmother. Sit. MANGIA!

Sunday mornings in my house were always about food. My Mother and I lived with my Grandparents, and they would drum up some sort of feast every Sunday. Might not have been a huge meal, per se, but it was always something. Multiple dishes made with love filled my table as a kid. If you're not used to the concept of Sunday dinner, then I feel for you, as you have missed out.

I learned at the hands of my Grandparents, and went on to continue to teach myself after they passed away. Having cooking shows on in my house is de rigueur. Bedroom tv is usually tuned to Food Network. Den tv is usually tuned to PBS' Create TV (as it is an HD channel and I can only get it in the den.) I research ingredients and recipes online, read tons of food blogs, love to devour any and all food writing, and am an avid collector of cookbooks. I picked up some FANTASTIC ones at La Cocotte while I was in Paris. Most of them are illustrated children's cookbooks, but OH MY GOD are they awesome. I wish I had found a place like this when I was in Barcelona last year.

I consider myself a really great home cook. By no means am I a professional... but that's part of the fun. I'm going to make this a dual post on both my regular blog Stiletto Chicken and on my brand new, yet to be really worked on blog Chefrodisiac. I feel like I should document my trials and tribulations, and join the scores of other food bloggers out there. Who knows... perhaps someday it will get me somewhere... but if not, at least I have an outlet for my passion of cooking, and a reason to buy myself some very expensive high-end photography equipment. A food blog is nothing without some fantastic pictures!

Last year, I went to a casting call for The Next Food Network Star. I made it through several rounds of casting, including two trips to New York and countless emailed documents and files, and was pretty excited at my prospects. I may not have professional training, but then again, neither do a lot of people who watch the Food Network. I am a fantastic self-taught cook, and even more importantly, I kick ass in front of the camera. I may lack in technical proficiency, but I more than make up for it with my ability to ad lib and b.s. my way through any situation, especially under pressure. I didn't make the show, and it was almost bittersweet tuning into this season's episodes to watch the challenges. (Not to mention the pang I felt when we had Bobby Flay on my radio show a couple of weeks ago to talk about the season premiere...)

The other night, the show was about when the contestants went on The Rachael Ray Show. Let me tell you something. I would have annihilated that challenge. Need me to condense how I made this fantastic dish into a tiny 5 minute segment in front of a live audience and tv viewers alike? Stand back. I'm coming through. And unlike most, I would NOT forget to smile at the camera.

There is a casting call for the next season coming up. I think I may just have to throw my hat in the ring again.

The blank slate.

Here we are. The first step. A place to put all those ideas, thoughts, musings, recipes, ramblings, raves and photos I've been taking of the things I've cooked.