So you want to start a blog, you say...

I don't like gourmet cooking or "this" cooking or "that" cooking. I like good cooking. ~James Beard

For those of you that know me, I know the question running through your head right now is "Why on earth would someone juggling a full time job and law school all while trying to keep some semblance of a social live start a food blog?" The answer, however clichéd, is that I like food and I love good cooking. This, of course, wasn't always the case. I started off as a your typical picky brat. For me, this meant peanut butter sandwiches every day for lunch. No Jelly. NEVER Jelly. And the peanut butter had to be Skippy. And not just any type of Skippy, but Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter. And if we were on the road, it had to McDonald's. Burger King was a completely unacceptable option because their buns had sesame seeds. I despised those seeds so much that if forced to eat at Burger King I would trade my top bun for an extra bottom bun with my dad. And let's not get started on how I avoided most of my mom's Filipino cooking... Today, however, things have almost entirely changed. With the exception of how I still only like Coca-Cola products, I'm almost exactly the opposite person. While no Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations, this past year 2009 I've enjoyed foie gras, beef tartar, and sea urchin, just to name a few things. But that's not to say that I'm now just a snobby foodie, some type of weird byproduct of living in Arlington, Virginia and too close to a Whole Foods. For me, my new love of food extends far beyond just restaurants with Michelin Stars or AAA Diamonds. It starts with a new fascination with food production (I'd explain, but I won't be able to do it nearly as eloquently as Michael Pollen in Omnivore's Dilemma) to how strongly food is related to memory. For example, I will never forget learning how to roll meatballs with my grandfather or egg rolls with my mom. And that leads me to my favorite part of this food adventure -- cooking food. Trust me, it really has been an ongoing adventure, given the different mishaps I've already been through, from adding uncooked pasta to my vegetable soup (who knew pasta noodles could get so big or absorb so much liquid?) to adding spoonfuls of flour to a hot sauce to thicken (whoops) to watching my toaster oven catch on fire (technically that wasn't me, just someone I was cooking with). And lastly, I hope as I start to chronicle and share my new food adventures you'll be able laugh and grow with me (or at least laugh at me). Enjoy!