New Year New Adventures

So here it is. My first posting of the new year. It is a bit late, yes, but at least I got my first posting of the year up during the month of January. How many other bloggers can make that claim?

There are a lot of things I’d like to write about in the coming days and weeks. Certainly I’ll have to post about the wonderful jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish dishes I ate while down in Jamaica last month. Then there is the Pan-fried Striped Bass with Lemongrass Cream and Fried Leeks I attempted last Friday that turned out surprisingly well. The idea was to replicate the dish as featured on Clement’s A La Cuisine blog. He doesn’t have a recipe but there is a really nice photo and a few notes. I was literally shocked that it came out as well as it did. And there are a few other dishes I’ve prepared recently that I’d like to post about soon as well.

My intent for 2007 is for it to be a year of learning, experimentation, fun and adventure in the culinary realm. Above all else, though, it will be a year of sharing. I’m planning on cooking much often for friends and family. I’m going to get myself into various soup kitchens around town and prepare meals for people in need. As learning to bake is part of the plan, my co-workers will find themselves munching on all sorts of (hopefully!!) yummy treats. In short, I hope to take my newfound love of cooking and use it to put smiles on people’s faces.

And oh there is so much to learn! So many things to try and master! What is truly wonderful is that this is only the beginning of a life-long culinary adventure. No matter how far I happen to take this, no matter how much I might eventually learn and master, there will always, always, ALWAYS be more out there to learn and discover.

I’m excited!

Being a beginner of course it’s easy for me to stay in Beginner’s Mind. I hope that I remain in that state as I acquire new skills and knowledge, and that if I don’t , I have someone around me who will smack me and remind me.