I've Come A Long Way

Once upon a time, in a residence hall in Gainesville, Florida, a young freshman named Danielle was homesick. It was her first night at college, her first night away from home and her family...and it was the first time she really had to fend for herself.

Feeling sad and alone, she longed for the comforts of home. Since her culinary skills were nonexistent, she decided to make something simple: a cup of tea. Danielle took out her shiny new pot, and filled it with water, and put it on the stove, and turned on the burner. She sat at a small round table in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil, teabag at the ready in a Botticelli-printed mug.

But suddenly, disaster struck! There were flames licking at the sides of the pot. Horrified that she would burn the building down on her first day, she grabbed the pot and threw it into the sink, dousing the pot in cold water from the tap. The flames died away and Danielle inspected the burner. But she couldn't find a reason for the flames on the stove. Cursing her luck, Danielle picked up the pot and then discovered the source of the fire...The pot, brand new, still had the label on the bottom, affixed to it with glue. The paper had caught fire.
__________________________________________________

Yes, I'm sorry to say that this is a true story. While no building burnt down, I was terribly hopeless when it came to even being in a kitchen. I ate in the dining hall every day for four years in undergrad and graduate school. But somewhere in the last few years, I started to develop what I could call some "culinary ability." I did learn, for instance, how to boil a pot of water without it catching fire. Since then, I've tried to hone these skills. Believe me when I tell you I'm not some amazingly talented amateur chef, but I believe that I've truly come a long way from the girl who set fire to a boiling pot of water her first night of college.

That's what this blog is going to be about. It'll be about my adventures cooking. Some will be wildly successful. Others, maybe not so much. But I'm finally at a point in my life where I have the tools and space (and an amazing kitchen) that allow me to explore, try out, and create new recipes. I'm hoping my ongoing culinary experimentation is (overall) successful!

My first recipe will be up tomorrow! Buon appetit!


Faith Hope Love
Danielle