Since I can remember, I'd been reading my mother's cookbooks. I was fascinated by the images in the books, and the ingredients I'd never heard of or tasted. Of course when I was young I concentrated on the Appetizers and Beverages and especially Desserts. These were the things I'd most likely be able to make myself, or the things I just wanted to eat.As I got older I started collecting recipes. I never cooked much, but I loved reading the recipes and seeing just exactly what could be made. My collection became a bit of an obsession - that's actually putting it lightly. In recent years I've culled a lot of that collection down. I have a recipe site where I keep my family's best loved recipes as well as household staples my friends have shared. I started the website for one reason: amongst the boxes and boxes of clippings and magazines, I couldn't ever find the recipes I actually wanted when I needed them.
Cooking television programs were staples among cartoons as I was growing up, and the Food Network is generally playing on my home television, even if only for background noise. I've learned a lot from my favorite Food Network programs and the "right" cookbooks.
I've met a lot of people on the Internet who call themselves "foodies," but I've found they're only interested in food in passing. In recent weeks I started a discussion group for discussion of ingredients, recipes, and other food-related topics; unfortunately, there was little interest in my topics, and so I've decided to go it alone instead. In this format I can collect my resources and tips on my most recent food-related hobby.
My father is a professional photographer, and I am hoping to enlist his assistance in getting started in photography. I've so-far purchased a "Complete Idiot's Guide" photography book, and I plan to buy a photography book that specializes in food photography. In reading the customer reviews from Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna, it appears this book would be good for beginners in both photography and food styling for photographers.
Aaron has been very supportive of this new idea even though we do not have the room for me to set up any kind of "studio." My first photography endeavors will likely take place at my parents house where I can spread out more, but I did spend some of my recent birthday money on pretty plates and a piece of cloth that could emulate a table cloth.
I am hoping this blog will prove to be a useful tool for me, and a little something to share with my friends and family.
