“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” – Socrates

Hi! I’m Marianne, and I am not a confident cook. Though I’ve always loved it, and grew up admiring my mother’s skills, I’ve never felt that I could do it, too. I’m starting to realise that I can cook well, if I try and work at learning to do it.

Well, I just finished university, I’m in my 20s, and I live with my boyfriend… no time like the present! I’m really lucky to have access to some great human resources – my boyfriend, whose father is a chef, and my mum, who is an amazing cook herself, and always willing to try new things.

I want to learn to cook food that is full of nutrients, care and love. Food that feeds the body, but soothes the soul, too. Real food, with honest, from-the-earth ingredients and ingredients that I can pronounce. Food that is challenging, and food that is simple when I’m exhausted. Plus, now that I’m out of school, I want to keep learning, and the world of cooking will always bring me new skills, ingredients, and recipes to learn.

Here’s something you should know if you are going to recommend recipes: I rarely eat seafood, and almost never eat red meat; Adam loves them both! Adam doesn’t eat many soy products, though I enjoy them. We’ll each eat them if we cook separately, go out to dinner, or otherwise eat on our own. He’s severely allergic to shellfish and I am mildly allergic to kiwi, so they are totally out.

Starting in August 2008, I’ve been doing a weekly wrap-up of what I’ve eaten. This is part of an attempt to become more conscious about what I eat. I make NO judgments about my eating habits – I try not to moralize food. For that reason, please keep any judgments to yourself.