About

Hi.  I'm Rob and this is my blog.  I am not a chef.  I have never been to culinary school.  I have never worked in a professional kitchen.  But, I do know a thing or two about food and cooking.  I have spent the better part of the past two plus decades actively studying and practicing the subject.  It is rare that a day goes by when I don't cook.  And when I can't cook for some reason, I feel deprived in some way.  My years of personal experience, research, and practice, are my only credentials and I hope that the thoughts I put into my posts resonate with you.

I have a few basic beliefs about cooking that inspired me to finally create this blog.  First, I think everyone should be able to put together a respectable meal.  It doesn't have to be perfect and artful, but it should be well thought out and executed. It doesn't have to be fancy and elaborate.  Some of the most delicious things I have ever eaten contain less than ten ingredients.  And it doesn't have to take hours to prepare.  You can make homemade mac and cheese that you would be proud to share with others in about a half hour.

Next, I think cooking should be fun.  Food brings people together.  People are truly happy when they are visiting with friends with food in one hand and something to drink in the other.  Have fun, cook for your friends, and don't worry about it.  You are with friends, so if the unthinkable happens and something doesn't work out, go to plan B, even if that means take-out.  Your friends won't care.

Finally, and a bit oversimplified, cooking basically boils down to two things.  Use the best ingredients you can find, and don't mess it up.  I have cooked all over that particular spectrum during the past 20+ years.  I have created some unbelievable food and I have also created some spectacular failures.  But I never gave up and stayed bold.  The first part is easy.  Find the best ingredients available and that you can afford.  The second one is actually pretty simple, but less practiced.  So, let me explain it by the one rule I live by, and that is: Cook each and every dish like you are being graded on it.  Let's dissect that a bit.  When you were being graded on something in school, what did you do?  You picked a topic (given one, usually), you carefully studied it until you knew everything about it, or at least, as much as you needed to know, then you thoughtfully and carefully presented what you had learned by writing a paper or taking a test.  Remember, the thing between your ears is the best tool you have to be a good cook.  The things at the end of your arms are your second most important tools.

So, go forth and boldly cook, and above all, have fun.  If you would like to contact me, feel free to send me an email at rsbistro@gmail.com.

R