Benvenuto!

Okay, I'm not a chef, at least not in the classical sense. I do not have any formal training. I am not employed as an executive chef, sous chef, line cook, prep cook, or any other cook. I have a dream of being a chef in my own restaurant, like Michael Symon and his restaurant Lola or Mario Batali and his restaurant, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca. But, alas, I'm just a regular guy motivated by a love of food, wine, beer and, of course, cooking.

My love of cooking was prompted by a vacation I took in 2006 through the Smithsonian Journeys. The trip, called "Joys of the Italian Table," was led by local chef and restaurateur, Francesco Ricchi. I learned about the various aspects of cooking and wine growing in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany and, more importantly, tasted the various foods and wines of those two regions. This trip marked the beginning of my love for cooking. Ever since then, I have been learning as much as I can about cuisine and cooking, beginning with the various regions in Italy. As my knowledge and skills improve, I hope to expand my efforts into the differing cuisines of far distant lands as well as close to home.

I created this blog to post my recipes, whether traditional or experimental, for those who are interested. I realize that the world of interested individuals will probably will be a small group of family and friends. Nevertheless, rather than having to e-mail recipes over and over again, I thought I would create a blog where anyone could get the recipes anytime they wanted.

I hope to do more with this blog than simply post recipes. When I have the time, I will also post my observations and ruminations about food, wine and beer.

I should also point out that I'm not a professional blogger. This is my first foray into the blogging world so please excuse the mess....