I figured I'd start something new (or maybe not so new, as the case may be).
Food blogs are certainly nothing new. Neither is writing about food, in terms of writing books, reviews, etc. But I cook and bake all the time, and my friends seem incredulous sometimes that I take so much time to create things, or that I cook and bake (most of the time) from scratch. I get it: we're at a point in our lives where we don't necessarily have time to do such things. But I grew up around food. I grew up appreciating the fantastic taste of a homemade piece of chocolate silk pie, or a good chicken marsala, or even a tasty piece of fried eggplant. I will eat just about anything, and I'll try most stuff at least once. That being said, I feel like getting creative in the kitchen is a must for me. At the very least, I have to get in the kitchen!
My mom was a caterer. She ran her own business when I was a kid-she called it Duck Soup, hence the name of this blog. The only background I have on that name was that her nickname was Duck, long before I was around, hence Duck Soup. But I don't actually know the origins of that name. Hm. I came across old invoices with the company name stamped on it once, though-it made me laugh. She had recipes, recipe books...more recipes and more kitchen equipment than I'd ever seen in a home kitchen (and to this day I've never been in a home kitchen that had two stovetops and two ovens, as well as two full size refrigerators and one full size freezer in it, plus a bunch of kitchen equipment. Some days I'd kill to have two stoves.) When I was a kid I got to be the "taste tester" and tried almost everything she made. Her lemon squares were one of my favorite desserts. I salivated when she made her chicken soup. And no lie, her chocolate silk pie (fat pie) is one of the best things I have ever had. We played with live lobsters in the kitchen, there was often flour all over the counters, and there was always plenty of food around.
When she passed away nearly ten years ago, my siblings divided her belongings equally. My sister got the furniture, my brother got her car and some other things. I got her kitchen. Including my most favorite appliance, her Kitchenaid stand-up mixer that's likely as old as I am. So after I graduated and moved into my own place, I started cooking. I made fat pie. I made chicken soup. I made lemon chicken. I made twice-baked potatoes and fried eggplant. I loved it all.
Just a few months ago, I was going through a drawer in the kitchen and found a box that had her handwritten recipes in it. I thought to myself how neat it would be to try at least one of those a week and see how it went. So here I am, blogging about it. I'll try new stuff, blog about it, and see where it goes. Some of them might be hers, some might be ones I've found while hunting about. But I'm hoping I'll expand my repertoire that way and also be able to share some of her gifts with you all.
Break out the forks, kids. It'll be a fun ride.
