I'd like to start my first post by sharing some details about some of the people who have influenced how I think about food and the way I cook. (This list is in chronological order)
My parents - Terry and Diane MacLaughlin
My parents are the inspiration of the title of this site. When I came home from school, I was always hungry and ready to eat as my parents were preparing dinner. On a daily basis I would ask "When is dinner going to be ready?" and the response was always, "When its done. Good food takes time!".
They believed that it was necessary for family to sit down and eat a home-cooked meal together on a daily basis. Every Sunday, my grandparents, (and sometimes friends) would join us for dinner as well. Dinner was about sitting down together, enjoying a meal, and catching up on school, activities, etc.
I started taking interest in food while watching my parents prepare meals. My dad would give me tastes of my favorite foods and ask if there was anything missing to the dish. The older I got, the more I observed what they were doing but never actively participated except for some small tasks.
While I was in high school, Emeril was becoming very big on Food Network. My parents watched Emeril Live on a daily basis. I found myself watching with them a few nights a week. Emeril's energy and catch phrases got me hooked immediately. A few years later, I met Matt Abdoo, who was also a major Emeril fan. This was where I really took an interest...
Matt Abdoo
Matt is my cooking hero. He taught me every basic and many of the advanced skills I know. He taught me about classic recipes, and then encouraged me to make recipes my own by altering them. I started cooking with Matt when he was a senior in college and I was a junior (2001-2002).
Matt had already been working in a kitchen for a few years as a chef. This particular year was special for me because it was my first year living off campus so I was frequently cooking for myself. One day Matt was over while I was making dinner, and he gave me a few tips. For the remainder of the year I found myself cooking with and learning from one of the most talented people I know.
I continued to cook my senior year and after graduation. I was pretty decent. I developed some creativity. I watched Food Network all the time. I started adapting recipes, trying new things and creating a few dishes on my own.
In 2004, everything changed. I went to visit Matt in his home town. He was still working at Cafe Canoli, which was a small Italian restaurant. Holy shit. He created an off-menu, 5 course tasting with wine pairings. What an experience. This was how I wanted to cook. I still have no idea what the hell he did in some cases.
I want to brag about Matt for a minute. Details I have left out are that he ended up graduating #1 in his class at the Culinary Institute of America. He went on to become an executive chef in Boston. From there he made a jump to NYC where he works at Del Posto, under another major Food Network influence of mine...Mario Batali. I need to eat there someday soon.
Thanks for everything Abdoo!
Joe Jachlewski
Joe is one of my oldest friends in the world. We went to elementary, middle and high school together. After college, he moved to Rochester, NY. Soon after, I got a teaching job in Rochester, and moved into an apartment with him and a few other people. That year, we cooked A LOT. We both had jobs, had money and weren't afraid to rack up grocery bills!
Two years later, I bought a house and Joe moved in. We each picked 2 days a week to cook for each other and go all out. While one cooked, the other helped out a bit and we drank. There is no way I'd rather spend my time.
For the next 3 years, we bounced new recipe ideas off each other, played off each others cooking strengths and really refined some of the things we do. He bought his own house in 2009, and we still get together for dinner nights, and tons of random weekend cooking events. When Joe and I throw a party where food is involved, think big. You will be hearing a lot about Joe on this blog.
Steve Case
Steve and I work together. I consider him to be the culinary "ying to my yang". Before I started discussing food with Steve, if I was going to cook for someone I trended towards big and bold flavors or elaborate sauces. He tends to make everything appear so simple. I mean simple in the best way possible. He uses a few basic, fresh ingredients and makes pefectly combines them into some of the best dishes I have ever tasted.
He taught me the concept of quality ingredients. Buy the freshest produce, use fresh herbs. The better ingredients you put into something, the better it will turn out. This includes making things from scratch whenever you can, and using whatever is fresh and in season. I learn so much from Steve, mostly through conversation. He knows what he's doing, and executes techniques as good as anyone I've ever met. Although we have eaten several meals at each others houses, we have actually only made 2 meals together cooperatively, but they were friggin good.
Jen MacLaughlin
My wife and I cook together regularly. We are at a stage where we plan our meals together and create some new ones when we can. She started out helping me, prepping some food etc. I was pretty happy to teach some of the skills I have learned from others with her. It gives us another hobby that we can have in common. It is pretty cool watching someone else learn and develop their cooking skills and start to try new things. Teaching helps me develop as she does.
We go to the supermarket often. Every day I post a meal on this site, we shopped that day. I rarely go to the store with a recipe in mind. We walk past the meat counter, the seafood counter, and then through produce. Whatever looks freshest, is most likely what we are buying. If there is something we want to make, and it doesn't look good that day, it can wait because...
Good food takes time!
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