(Source: Flickr) When I moved from New York City to Seattle in my early twenties, one of the biggest culinary culture shocks was the ubiquity and regional reverence to salmon. Salmon is a big deal in the Pacific Northwest, where savvy chefs have perfected the art of cooking this unique pink fish. Having never takenFIND OUT MORE |

When I first started cooking, fish was a mystery to me. It tasted delicious in a restaurant, but whenever I tried to cook it at home, it either stuck to my pan, turned rubbery, or both. It was frustrating because not only is seafood expensive where I live, but there’s nothing worse than reading aFIND OUT MORE |

Restaurants are one of the most popular businesses to open these days, and it seems like no matter where you go, there’s a new one opening up on every corner. With over six times the number of restaurants today as there were a few decades ago, it’s a risky venture for sure, but if youFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr) Steak is not something I eat every day, but when I do treat myself, it’s a wonderful luxury: unctuous, flavorful meat, ideally served with a compound butter and a glass of dry red wine to “cut” through the richness of the meat. When I enjoy a steak, I want it to be cookedFIND OUT MORE |

When school starts up again, a couple of my mom friends and I have brunches at each others houses to celebrate our freedom. An entire summer of finding things to do for the kids is exhausting. As soon as the kids are dropped off at school, we drive over to that days location. Of course,FIND OUT MORE |

When I was a kid and we went out to eat, my sister always chose Chinese when it was her turn to pick. She has tried everything on the menu at every restaurant and buffet, and she also always kept her fortune cookie paper slips. She just loved everything about the experience. I’m pretty sureFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr) When you hear the words “fried chicken”, what image comes to mind? For me, it’s the vision of summer picnics complete with a basket and red and white checkered blanket. The fried chicken was always the star of my mother’s beautifully packed picnic baskets, with a supporting cast of potato salad, fruit, andFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr) Pork chops are one of my favorite foods. To illustrate my devotion, I actually even named my little pug “Pork Chop”–such is my enduring love of the classic meat cut. The fact is this: when pork chops are made well, they are a thing of culinary beauty: unctuous, flavorful, moist, and filling. However,FIND OUT MORE |

When my baby brother was turning eleven, he planned out every detail of his birthday. He started organizing and thinking about how exactly he wanted everything to go down about a month before his actual birthday. He gave me a few pieces of paper stapled together, and said he had a “few” ideas. He’d decidedFIND OUT MORE |

When I think of a good meatball, I think of the platterful that I devoured at my graduation party in a nice little Italian restaurant in my hometown. They were perfect! They were juicy, tender, and had an amazing meaty flavor. Ever since that party, it has taken a lot more that a bag ofFIND OUT MORE |