intro to this simple food blog for my kids:

I've been thinking about the basic things I want to teach my children in terms of food and cooking, especially before they are off on their own. I wouldn't say I'm the best at anything, and I'm certainly not qualified to be an instructor. However, I would say that knowing how to cook basic foods like eggs or pasta or rice will get you very far should you ever need to fix a meal in a jiffy. Knowing how to pick fruit or vegetables or even meat makes a huge difference. That's one thing my mom taught me--how to pick fruit--otherwise, she told me to get out of the kitchen and get back to my books.

My husband and kids seem to think I cook pretty well, but I just know what they like. Get to know for whom you're cooking. My husband can't eat anything containing onion in any form, so there go most pre-made foods and sauces. I save it for the potlucks. It never seems to turn out as well when I cook for others--I guess because I know what my family likes, and it's stressful for me cooking for others. Stress will show up in your cooking.

Thus, I had to hone in on making my meat tender and what flavors complement each other on a plate. Along with that, I save time not having to look at a cookbook or recipe card as often as before. I'm learning the art of simple but tasty meals. If I ever want to try something new that's already been taste-tested, there's always allrecipes.com or my Best New Recipe cookbook to the rescue.

Chinese food is the most familiar to me--the fact that my dad was a chef and my mom pretty much raised her three younger sisters helps. But sometimes I simply don't have the time to wrap dumplings so I'll just buy them. There's no shame in that, especially when Costco sells ones without onions. And I mostly do stir fry and sometimes soups but seldom steam anymore. I think I steam tamales more often than Chinese buns!

The thing about food blogs is that, in the end, everyone's tastes are different. So I will tell you about basic scrambling of eggs and you decide whether you want to add chopped ham, cheese, and vegetables for a skillet meal or if you like it with just salt and pepper on an English muffin. I will tell you how to make basic mashed potatoes--you decide if you want rosemary, garlic, or chipotle peppers.

So get ready for some novice level stuff. At least you'll know what braising, folding, blanching, and al dente mean without having to Google or Wiki and hope for the best.