On Casual Reviewing

I spent many years of my life toying with the idea that I would become a food critic. Ruthlessly I would divide good from bad, wheat from chaff, delicious from inedible; my wit would be both de- and in-cisive, and I would become known as the Man Who Knew What's What in Food.

Then I graduated from highschool. I got a life and a B.A.

 I've come to realize that I don't actually enjoy being that critical. I don't enjoy occupying myself with the pursuit for flaws in other people's work. You know what I love?

 Eating.

People tell me things like "Wow, you cook really well!" I reply, "No, I'm just a very gifted eater." It may be one of my greatest talents in life. I can taste dishes and understand how they were made, tasting equally cooking technique, base ingredients, and seasonings used. I've a natural talent for understanding the intention behind a dish and whether that goal has been achieved (and if not, why).

 
I'll eat practically anything if there's evidence to suggest that it will taste nice. I'll admit a weakness for cheese, fish, and anything pungent, piquant, or powerful (ginger, garlic, and cloves being particularly dear to me).  I'm also nowhere near the  exquisit pinnacle of food reviewing represented by my personal literary buddah, Jeffrey Steingarten (see the Amazon Bar for links). I can't stand brussel sprouts; my tolerance for sour knows quite a number of bounds. I've never really been able to get behind brothy soups as entrées.

As long as I'm indulging my penchant for metaposts comprised of grand statements of intentions, I'll make two concrete goals clear:

1. I want to help other people enjoy food. Through writing about things I've found delicious I hope to demystify the art and science of cooking. I would like to present plain language suggestions for food and drink; dishes and drink pairings I've tried in my humble home, what did or didn't work and why, and my suggestions for people working on the same budget I am (something a little less than 24k yearly, before taxes).

2. I'd like to have some notes written down somewhere I can get at them easily so I can go back and figure out what I've eaten and whether or not I liked it. No sense drinking bad wine twice!

 With that: on with the show!

Note: I'm hoping to figure out how to make this silly blog-thing properly archive my writings to make them easy to find. For now, there aren't any writings to be worried about, so this should present no problem.