Afternoon Gourmet

So why would I want to enter the already crowded cacophony of blogs written by home cooks?  It is certainly not because I think I have something more inspired to add to the conversation, nor is it because I feel that any recipes I might write about are better than those already being shared by other home cook bloggers.  It is simply because I have something to say, and while what I have to say has been said (and in many cases said well) by many home cooks turned bloggers and cook book authors, I feel it necessary to say it if for no other reason than there is a notable legacy of why I cook and more importantly, why I cook for my family and friends.  

I cook because it is my hands-on way of telling others, and in particular my family, that they matter to me, that they are important enough to me that I want to invest my time, often free time, in caring for and nourishing them.  And not just nourishing their bodies by providing (mostly) healthy home cooked foods, but nourishing their souls by providing an environment where meals are shared together and those we love gather at the table to eat, converse and laugh.  I am quite certain that my two tween boys do not yet grasp the enormity of purpose that puts home cooked food in front of them on a daily basis, but perhaps by creating a physical record of why it is important to me, they will realize it is because THEY are important to me.  

The same is true of entertaining extended family and friends.  My husband and I have always enjoyed entertaining, but once we started inviting families into our home, it became about creating community and building relationships with families that shared similar values (and often similar aged children too!).  Providing a tasty meal and an enjoyable evening was our way of saying that we value not only the friendships of our children, but also our friendships with the parents.  The act of sharing a meal, of sitting together over home cooked food and sharing stories feeds a basic human need to connect with others.  There is nothing more satisfying than the sound of laughter filling a house from all angles as kids play and parents converse - quiet dinner parties are not for me - I want talking and laughter!

So why the name Afternoon Gourmet?  Quite simply, afternoons are when I find myself doing most of my cooking.  Whether it is planning/prepping a weekday meal for my family, preparing for a dinner party, or cooking for a weekend at the lake, I find myself busy in the kitchen in the afternoon. Of course, I don't do all my cooking in the afternoon, and I realize that most people do not have that window of cooking time.  However, it is in the afternoon that I find myself cooking and oftentimes musing that while I was hard-pressed to boil water when I was married, I now delight in preparing a meal or treat for family and friends.  It is these musings and very carefully vetted recipes that I hope to share with others.