First Post

I have been debating about starting a blog for quite some time now. Where to start? This is what has stopped me. I knew it would be about food. Food is a passion I discovered later in life. To be more accurate I have always loved food, it is the passion of preparing food that has come later in life. Much too late to start culinary school and where we live makes it next to impossible. So it remains a dream. And leaves me turning a passion into something that can make money with no formal training. I am taking the skills that I have learned over the years and hoping to help others to improve their own cooking skills.

My hope for this blog is that it will give you some great ideas for meals that you can prepare for your family. I am very lucky to live on the Central Coast of California which offers so many opportunities to buy wonderful locally grown food.

My other hope for this blog is that it will help to heal from a business venture in meal assembly that did not work. From what I learned (and trust me there are and were plenty of life lessons) I am venturing into a new business. Same concept of wanting to help people get good healthy food on the table for themselves and their family. I want to be the affordable personal chef option. If you live locally check out our website and give us a try.  I hope that you will visit often to get easy, healthy dinner ideas made with the best ingredients that you can find in your neighborhood.

Our first meal together will be a simple and comforting meal. It is adapted from a recipe in Cooks Illustrated, one of the best cooking magazines that there is. Enjoy dinner on your plate tonight.

Pasta with Simple Tomato Sauce

1/2 pound of ground beef (may also use ground turkey or not use any meat for a veggie option)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup grated onion (use the large holes on a box grater)

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

salt ( I use kosher salt, you may use table salt or sea salt)

2 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through garlic press

1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes (use the best quality that you can find such as Muir Glen)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Ground black pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and meat to pan.  Cook meat while breaking it up as it cooks.  Cook until meat is brown, crumbly and cooked through.  Remove meat from pan and drain on paper towel lined plate.  (If not using meat, skip this first step.)  Heat butter in same pan over medium high heat until melted.  Add onion, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomatoes and sugar and increase heat to high and bring to simmer.  Stir cooked meat back into sauce, if using, and turn heat down to medium low.  Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Remove sauce from heat and stir in basil and olive oil.  Serve sauce over cooked hot pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.  Serve with salad and bread to complete your dinner.