Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Calling all Foodies


     My fellow foodies, let me take a second to introduce myself. My name is Rafael, I am 32 years old and I live in Essex County NJ with  my half-witted dog Sampson. I'm writing simply because I have a love of food that I want to share with the world.
     
 
      Some may say that my passion for food started pretty early on in life. As a kid my family referred to me as the "bottomless pit." Well not much has changed, at 32 years old, I'm still putting it back! Whether it is burgers, foie gras, prime rib or pizza, I love it all!
Being a short jump from Manhattan I've had a chance to eat at some of the best restaurants around. In fact, going out to eat is one of my favorite past times. So what you may ask have I learned from my dining experiences??? Never judge a book by the cover! I've eaten at upscale restaurants where the only thing impressive was the decor. While I can admit that once in a blue moon I choose a restaurant for its atmosphere, what I really want when I go out is just good food. Quite a few times I've walked into cozy, unassuming little eateries, and have been more than pleasantly surprised with not only the quality of food, but the chef's attention to small detail.
      Almost as much as I love to eat, I find cooking to be one of my life's passions. As a teenager I worked in a small kitchen at a local pizza shop doing prep work.  I can still remember smelling fresh chopped garlic hit a hot pan of olive oil and thinking, Mmmm!!!.Before I knew it I could cook every last thing on the menu, in fact I still can (including a locally famous chicken recipe that I hold secret to this day!)
      It was a humble beginning so to speak. So what I do cook now? Everything, you name it! If it looks good I'll try it. I have a knack for making gourmet easy. From homemade pasta sauces, burgers to pan seared scallops. I can cook for two people or a hundred with no problem (just ask my friends!) Most of the time I will just taste something new and say "I want to cook that." Just give me a couple bites and I bet you I'll cook something very close if not spot on.


 

    I have a Puerto Rican background so I love authentic hispanic food and my grandfather was Italian, so I know some good home made sauce. I'm also an avid mixed martial artist so I can whip up some good healthy eats with no problem. I guess in a way I'm just a scanvenger, rummaging  for the next succulent bite and digging to come up with the next creative recipe.
    I'm not a chef by trade, I'm actually a technology recruiter. Most of my knowledge of food comes from just watching shows and reading books, (mix that with a whole lot of trial and error.) I'd like to think I've come pretty far with my food, but let me share a few recipes first and I'll let you judge.  I want to show you guys that whether you are like me and just cooking for two, or you are feeding a full family, good food can be fun and easy to make.  From time to time I will be reviewing local eateries to give you the inside on what to eat and where. I would also love to share my insight on diet and nutrition. Not to mention some killer recipes that are easy to whip up. So my fellow foodies, allow me if you will to share my culinary experiences!!!

SO ITS YOUR CHOICE!!!!

    For my first recipe I want you guys to choose from 3 recipe ideas. This way I can have an idea who my audience is and I'll be able to cater to you guys. After all I don't want to put a cheeseburger recipe if the majority of my readers are looking to get fit. After all you can be the brightest nueroscientist in the world, but if you are talking to a bunch of pastry chefs chances are they won't have a clue what your talking about.
   
    So what recipe do you guys want????
    A. Easy family meal
    B. Unique cheeseburger
    C. Healthy meal for the athlete

   In a week or so I will tally up the votes and give a full detailed recipe with easy HOW-TO instructions accompanied by a picture of the finished product. I look forward to your responses. Happy Eating!!!




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