Mise (En Place)

Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks.
~Lin Yutang

This modest quest was born of the reflections of a common cook, a layperson (non-expert) roaming the kitchen.

Sharing my journeys with you from market to kitchen to plate is meant to inspire, dispel misconceptions, quell unfounded fears and place confidence in your hands. Just cook and embrace, saporously so. As food is a basic human need, why not make it exquisitely pleasing to the palate, even creative? It only makes sense that the modest art of cooking should be rewarded by the divine art of eating. Because, face it, sometimes we simply want to eat.

The recipes that follow are only meant to suggest and are by no means a mandate. Plus, to assume there exists only one species of a dish can often be folly — many classics are flat protean with almost as many versions and descents as there are kitchens.

This site is not a harbor for what some have dubbed arrogant food even though that finds a deserved place in other kitchens and written or online works. Humble, rustic and eclectic fare may be more appropriate words here…or perhaps just love what sates you at the time.

Because a meal is simple does not render it any less savory or elegant. Here, there is no need for formal training or experience, yet an inquisitive, inventive character and passion for food may serve you well. Together through recipes and basic techniques, we will explore some of the varied facets of food and along the way visit some culinary lore, history, science, culture, art, geography, language — and even meander through a few fond memories.