Introduction: Hello, My Name Is.....

Rick, actually. My wife calls me Boog (long story...well, not long really....just, embarassing), my kids call me....well, that depends on the mood they're in.....but it's Dad mostly. But YOU, my new friend, can call me Rick.

My interest in all things culinary came about quite unexpectedly when my wife fell ill last year and endured two major surgeries within 60 days. The household duties that were primarily handled by her, including the cooking, were suddenly thrust upon my shoulders. The kids and I tried to subsist on a fast-food diet for a time but that quickly grew wearisome - not to mention expensive - and I finally had to face my fears and venture into that one room of the house that so many men like myself find daunting - the kitchen!

My first foray into cooking an actual meal was an old stand-by from my childhood, a dish that seemed simple enough.....meatloaf. Now, looking back, I realize I really had no idea what I was doing when I combined ground turkey and ground beef, threw in a half-bottle of ketchup, tossed in some seasonings and Lord only knows what else. There was no egg in my meatloaf, no breadcrumbs, nothing to give it bulk or moistness....it was basically a giant, square-shaped hamburger but, to my surprise, the family loved it! They raved and my chest swelled and a chef was born (ok, maybe I'm more like a line cook but what's the difference anyway?!).

As you've probably guessed by now, I am not a professional. I don't have a cooking show on Food Network - or any other network (heck, I'm not even on YouTube but maybe that will change one day!). This blog will probably never be seen by anyone other than my family and a few friends (Hi Mom!). I'm still not sure of the differences between braising and brining, searing and steaming, or green onions and scallions.  I'm just a regular joe whose passion and love for cooking affordable, tasty food using quality ingredients is growing and blossoming and wants to share his gastric journeys with like-minded folks.

The plan here is to share recipes - the successes and failures, insights I gleaned during the process of preparing them, and my family's reaction to them. I'll also do periodic reviews of products such as kitchen gadgets - what I like to have in my kitchen and what I don't, cookbooks, food-related websites, etc. But, it'll mostly be about the food - the planning, the prep, the cooking, the serving, and the enjoyment of the food.

I hope you'll join me at my table and find me to be an entertaining host.

Cheers!