I really do think that honesty is the best policy. In life, in relationships and especially in food. Trying to cover up a botched dish is like trying to cover up a lie. You know the truth is in there, and you can taste it.

I recently moved from a small one bedroom in Greenwich Village with my dog, Coco, to a very large one bedroom in Williamsburg with Coco and my boyfriend, Byron. With this new, large apartment, came a brand new kitchen. I had essentially stopped using my last kitchen all together in fear of the mice, who probably loved my cooking more than anyone else, and I was very excited to get back in the kitchen.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, your eyes are bigger than your stomach, well that is unfortunately often my approach to cooking. I love extravagant food, eating it and making it. However, at 7 pm when I get home from a 9 hour work day, the Coq au Vin I had planned in my mind isn’t always what ends up on Byron and my plates.

Here is where honesty pokes its annoying head out. It’s very easy to ask yourself “Do I have time to make this?” or “Am I too tired to make this?” Those simple questions can change your Coq au Vin into an Arugula Salad with Seared Chicken Breast and a glass of wine. And do you know what? That’s ok! Not every meal you’re going to make will be your best or the most interesting, but as long as you can give something a little bit of time and a lot of flavor, you will always be satisfied with your meal and yourself.

I’m simply writing this blog to share my ideas, recipes, and dishes, both failed and successful.

Enjoy!