Let's Spoon!

I heard somewhere that the ancient peoples of Rome carried their own spoons around with them so there was always a utensil handy when a meal presented itself.  Sounds sensible to me, since a spoon is one of the most used and unappreciated tools in the kitchen.  Not only is it perfect for eating cereal with, but the spoon is also used for wide array of activities, mostly cooking.

Quenelles are shaped in the bowls, while cantaloupes get scraped with them and just the right spoon will have a gently pointed tip so that it slips easily between the skin and fruit of a kiwi for easy prep.  There are easily more types and sizes of spoons in my kitchen than any other tool; in fact, I'm willing to bet that is true of most cooks.

So, Spoon! was the logical choice for the name of this blog, it's the Swiss Army knife of utensils and everybody has one.  But that's not what inspired the name, oh no.  No, no, no.  Spoon! was the Tick's catchphrase, one that he picked completely at random to say when he felt victorious.

Spoon!

Of course, the Tick was a cartoon character from many years ago that had nothing whatsoever to do with food or cooking.  But his joyous abandon whenever he said it stuck with me and it is the ultimate in non sequiturs for the modern absurdist.

Now to business, I started this blog for a specific reason:  so I could stop annoying all my chef friends on FaceBook with my cooking tip updates.  They already know this stuff and I can practically see them roll their eyes when I post a reminder to salt the water.  However, I have many other friends and acquaintances who are not professionals and do appreciate it when I share.  This blog is for them - and anyone else who is looking to help themselves out around the kitchen.

I have spent my life cooking, for myself, for friends and for profit and have a big storehouse of tips, shortcuts, recipes and alternate uses for conventional items as a result.  My kids don't cook, apparently it's easier to break my heart than learn to cook, but I'm not bitter.  But lots of other people do and I wholeheartedly encourage them all.

So what can you expect from Spoon!?  I want this to be my legacy to the culinary world, the place where all that I've learned can be shared with others.  My restaurant days are behind me and I'm back where I started, cooking at home but even the most modest home kitchen can produce a masterpiece.  There will be as many tricks as I can remember, seasonal tips, procedural advice and even the occasional recipe.

Your comments and questions are welcomed whether you are a novice or a seasoned hand because there is always more to know about food.  Please enjoy Spoon!