Hi, my name is Chrissy and I cook. No, not just occasionally. I cook. Every. Single. Day. And I do it not just because I have to, but because I absolutely love it. everything about food. I love that it’s the only art form which can engage all five of your senses at once. I love the “ooohs”, “aaahs” and “mmms” that rumble forward when someone partakes of my food and can’t get enough. I love the feeling of relaxation and accomplishment I get while preparing the food. And most of all, I love to eat!
My Little Family!
And when I say I love food, I don’t mean to paint a picture of me as a ravenous cavewoman shoving down any and all food I can get my hands on. On the contrary, I am a self-proclaimed food snob. Not just any edible entity may cross these lips. There is skill and precision involved in picking, preparing and presenting every morsel to these discerning taste buds. Truth be told, I would much rather go without anything at all than to gobble down something (anything) in the hopes that it would simply fill a void in the pit of my stomach.
That is where the “cooking” part comes in. How does someone like me, who scoffs at slightly overcooked seafood, dull under-seasoned vegetables or pitiful pasta sustain herself in these modern times? I cook! All the time. Not just for me though. I cook for the most special people in my life most often. This would include my jewel of a husband, Travis; my two (rambunctious wild and crazy) darling children, Kaleb and Aubrey; and my eighty-two year old grandmother, Mema.
Me and Hubby Trav
Smiley Kaleb
Aubrey a.k.a. Nugget
Me and my two Grandmas (Mema’s on the left)!
We all live together in my grandmother’s 1960’s split level right outside of DC in an area I so affectionately called “the country” as a child. And it was in this very same house where I learned to love and cook all types of food from my dear Mema. She taught me soul food, seafood, vegetables, Italian, breakfast, lunch, dinner and so on and so on. Now I have the pleasure of revamping her classics as well as introducing all of us to some new flavorful items every once in a while.
On any given day you may catch me in the kitchen in one of Mema’s vintage aprons whipping up anything from Mema’s go-to breakfast of champions: cheesy scrambled eggs, thick cut hickory smoked bacon and a warm buttery toasted croissant; to marinated broiled lamb chops with garlicky tzatziki sauce, couscous and sautéed string beans; to a berry cobbler; to homemade fruit smoothies for the kids. Or you may catch me outside on the grill (rain, shine, sleet, blizzard… year round!) slow smoking my famous “Uncle Fred’s” chicken. When you hear those coals sizzling, see that crispy skin bubbling up with flavor, smell that smokey aroma, pick up a nice hot cut of your choice, then bite into a piece of slightly spicy, tangy, juicy tender goodness you’ll float away to heaven! Believe me, there is not a person who’s tried it and hasn’t done exactly that. My mouth is watering just thinking about it…
Woman-ing the Grill
Mmm Mmm Good
So that’s why I decided to start this blog as a way to share with the world what my housemates and so many others already know…that my food is damn good! But not just that it’s good, that it’s not as hard as one may think to provide consistently tasty healthy meals to yourself or whoever else may need a little culinary nourishment. Cooking is for sure a labor of love. So to do it well you must most certainly have at the very least a desire to do it, and at the very most an unbridled passion for it. I happen to fit into the latter category. That, coupled with my desire to document my adventures in doing so landed me here. If you are the slightest bit curious, I encourage you to read on. And if not, at least we made it this far! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY EATING!
Xoxo Chrissy
Chrissy Cooks 