Blooking is always good.

Like a gazillion other movie goers in the past few days I just saw Meryl Streep and Amy Adams' newest big screen endeavor, Julie & Julia. It was, in a few words, sweet, indulgent and full of love. Rarely do we see a movie that has its audience genuinely delight in the true pleasures of life.

While sitting in the theater salivating over each butter cooked dish (the kinds that might make your heart stop just by smelling them), I realized how truly blessed I am to have always lived a life reveling in delicious home cooked food in addition to the relationships formed and strengthened over those meals.

My childhood was marked by weekly Sunday dinners at Grandma's house, and delicious dinners at other family members' homes on various occasions. Growing up, I didn't know that people didn't cook, and even those that did may not be able to do so well. My sophomore year of college, after begging my parents to let me drop my dining hall meal plan, I began to seriously cook. After years of observing mommy, daddy and grandma in the kitchen, I would call home for recipes and be delighted to find that I could recreate home in my New York kitchen, 200 miles away from my Baltimore one.

In grad school, I connected with one of my dearest friends over food. He seemed to be one of the few friends I'd met away from home, who understood exactly how cooking meant home. At least once a week we'd congregate in one of our two tiny kitchens and make our own small feast, indulging in every delicious bite.

To cook is to dream, to create, to share, and to love. In my life, it is analogous to dancing and writing. So naturally, with this affection for food, I like Julie (Amy Adams) decided to blook (blog and cook) when I began this blog. Unlike Julie, I didn't decide to follow a cookbook, but rather share the recipes that I contrived in my own kitchen.

When I cook, I often wish there were more people around to taste with me, so I offer these recipes as a way to share an experience - a little bit of Sydnie's home - with you.

Breakfast

Spicy Hash Browns with Romano Cheese
Green Eggs (No Ham, I added toast instead.)


Dinner

Grilled Pork Chop and Broiled Asparagus served with Raisins in a White Wine Sauce
Grilled Pork Chop topped with Spinach and Mozzarella, with Tomato Rice
Sydnie's First Casserole
Salmon over Sauteed Scallops and Vegetables in Balsamic Vinaigrette


Dessert

Chocolate Fondue
Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Icing