On the one hand, I really wanted CSD to be an open venue. This was never designed to be a blog that catered to an age group or demographic. I wanted all takers to come in here and partake of all things food. Whether you're a housewife or grad student, consummate professional or occasional home cook, I wanted you to feel welcome. Take in some of what I've learned, and what I'm still learning, and hope that it somehow gets you pumped up to spend a bit more time in your own kitchens.
Now on the other hand, I'm an outspoken fiend with a tendency to be over-the-top with what I write on a page. Anyone who knows me, and anyone who's ever read even a few paragraphs of what I talk about, knows that I'm quite the animated chap. I talk too loud for too long, bouncing between Hunter Thompson-esque hysteria and Henry Rollins-esque aggressiveness. I am, for all intensive purposes, an unapologetic handful.
Stranger still, is the fact that I actually teach this way too. Put me in front of an eager group to learn, and I'm a madman. I will neglect resources designed to make my job easier if I think I can do it better, comment loudly on my displeasure with certain bits of "required curriculum," and find every possible way to cram information that I think is necessary into my students. Even if it means talking for far longer than anyone else of my ilk would, That's what I'll do. And I do it because I want my students to walk away understanding what I teach. Not just the buzz words that appear on the test, but why those things are important in the first place. Understanding means memory retention, people are more likely to remember things if they understand why they're done. But it also means confidence. And confidence is a powerful force when you're learning something.
This blog by it's very design, is an educational resource. A place where I wanted people of all walks of life to come to, read a bit, then wander into their own kitchens excited to create. As such, I've been very neutral in my posts, not wanting to offend anyone who might stumble on to this blog looking for a little culinary amusement. I have sat staring at the screen for many a night, trying to think of new ways to word things so that everyone feels at home. In a sense, I've gotten a bit "textbook" with these first few posts, basically turning everything I write into something you'd find in a cooking book at an elementary school library.
My tension with having to write posts in this neutral state has made it hard to actually write anything. Words tend to come pretty naturally to me (obviously,) but I've really never been one who's had to calculate how I say things. I've been lucky enough to get by without ever having to. And now, putting myself in a position where I have to select my words and rethink everything I would normally right, it just takes the wind out of my sails.
In the end, I just gotta be me.
So, after a very long spell of not writing for CSD, I am back at the helm, this time speaking the only way I know how to speak. The posts from here on out may get a bit cynical, possibly even a trifle snarky, but they will be passionate.
For those of you new newcomers who swing by this page and find my writing a bit strong, please don't be offended. I'm not mad at you, nor am I picking on you. I welcome your presence, your comments, and most importantly, the fact that you want to develop your skills in the kitchen. And hopefully, once you get past the wisecracks and dark attitude, you'll find someone that, much like yourselves, just likes to cook.
-Editor In Chief-
