Philosophy

I believe:

• good food is worth every effort it takes to grow, obtain through purchase, and prepare
• food is a medium we gather around--so make it worthy of our attention
• it's more than the food itself--the enjoyment comes from everything that surrounds it:  time spent growing foods in the garden, purchasing food from a local farmer and that interaction, learning provided by trial and error, the joy from those around you when you prepare something that brings them pleasure, the smells from the kitchen that bring us back to our childhood or a special moment in time 

Most importantly:

• I think playing with your food is a must!  I have found that the enjoyment is lost if I try to adhere too strongly to someone else's recipe.  Many times I start making something with one idea in mind and end up with a completely different dish because I tasted and experienced the food as I was preparing it.  Sometimes you have to change course midstream, and when you do, the results can be surprisingly beautiful!