Intro: Co the Cook

So, I don't need to participate in another blog. But I really, really like cooking and I really, really liked the idea of teaming up with some fabulous other women to create a food blog.

My posts will be devoted to what I like to call, *lesbian cooking.*

So, what is *lesbian cooking* and how does it differ from *cooking* in general? It doesn't. It just makes what I do in the kitchen sound more interesting.

Is my cooking really *lesbian cooking* then? Well, yes, because I am a self-proclaimed lesbian and I cook for my wife, Lo.

(Now, on to Sacha's and Charlotte's questions...)

What are my values as a *lesbian* cook? Well, as many of us know, statistics show us that women in general make less than men, so chances are, in the modern lesbian family, both women must work. Single women, too, face similar financial and time constraints. So, my key values include: tasty but inexpensive, yet quick and simple enough for the working woman to make on a weeknight.

I also value the much maligned skill of measuring. I know a lot of cooks who pride themselves on never measuring. I am not one of them. I treat lesbian cooking as a science. I measure carefully and am continually experimenting and manipulating variables to improve on my recipes.

What is my secret passion? Cake decorating. My mother took cake decorating classes when I was but a wee girl, and it was the best. Every week, her project became my dessert. I am not as skilled as my mother was, but I still love to try.

Inspirations? My grandmother, who taught me the wonders of making Napolitan food and homemade tomato sauce. My mother, who baked cakes and cookies with me as a child. My friend Adriana, whose What I Made for Dinner blog provides me with many great food ideas. My Uncle Vince who can make the best stuffed mushrooms on the planet. And of course, Lo, my wife, who encourages me by eating whatever I put in front of her and saying, "Wow! It's like living in a [insert ethnic cuisine here] restaurant!"

What do I bring to Culinarian? An eclectic blend of food ideas, recipes that can be made on the quick, and an answer to the eternal question... what happens when lesbians cook?