for the love of food.

If there is one common denominator among the human race it's food. Some eat simply to live, while others appreciate the art of cuisine.  I fall into the latter category. Now, I am no chef, but I love experimenting in the kitchen.  Living in New Orleans makes it difficult to find a bad meal, which can discourage at-home cooking. This past weekend I took pleasure in a more domestic environment. I was inspired first to make doughnuts (sweets are my ultimate weakness!) and second, pasta.  

After a nearly failed attempt with the doughnuts, it was a delicious success, and completely rewarding. Enjoying the fruit of your labor is satisfying. The key to doughnut making is lots of flour to combat that sticky, obnoxious dough. 

Normally, pasta isn't something I crave. Homemade pasta, although time consuming, is worth the effort. Last summer I acquired my mother's pasta machine and hosted an entire Italian-themed dinner party. It was fantastic -- Italian wine, caprese, antipasti, pasta, and of course, gelato.  No party this time, but great pasta. With help from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, I accomplished this feat of pasta making. 

Explore your taste buds. Enjoy food and make a dish you love. Not one that is simply convenient.  Daily life can become robotic. Work, school, food, clothes- they blur together. So focus your interests and be intentional.