On these pages you will find my recipes, at least those deemed worth sharing. These are "mine" because I've created them, or I've modified them, or I just plain like them.

Like almost every cook in the world, my recipes came from someone else. Those that have will be attributed to the author if I know who it is (or perhaps where it originated). Even if it's one that I created it had it's origins in the experience I've derived from others (but I won't be shy about taking a little credit).

Unlike some of the delightful blogs that abound on the internet you won't find much in the way of comment about the creation or the process simply because I find that kind of writing difficult. Perhaps if I practise . . .

There are some things that may not be mentioned in the recipes:

• When I call for stock or broth I'm assuming that you've made your own or at least purchased a good quality, low or no sodium product. I'm not averse to salt but I want to have control over the amount.
• When dairy products are called for they are full fat unless, like buttermilk, they are inherently low fat. If you can find/afford grass fed then do get it. Organic ought to mean that the cow gets to munch on grass at least some of the time (but has increasingly been perverted). If you can get raw well then lucky you!
• Cream, unless otherwise qualified is 35%, heavy, or whipping cream.
• Oil never, ever means vegetable oil (corn, canola, soy or the anonymous variety, none of which are actually derived from vegetables). Use goose fat, schmaltz, coconut oil, olive oil, or an animal fat appropriate to the dish and cooking method. For a breakdown of generally available oils see Mark's Daily Apple - The Definitive Guide to Oils and a listing of smoke points of most available oils (originally published on Cooking for Engineers) Smoke Points of Fats and Oils.
  When in doubt use bacon fat. Everything's better with bacon.
• If your soy sauce doesn't have the words brewed or fermented on the label then you're doing yourself and the people you're feeding a considerable disservice. Check the Serious Eats soy sauce page. Remember too that if it isn't imported or organic then it's Roundup Ready®
• Eggs. Get free range eggs, from a local farmer where you can actually see the chickens. It's worth the effort.
  A study in the journal Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems found eggs from hens raised on fresh pastures boasted twice as much vitamin E and 2.5 times more brain and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids as standard supermarket eggs had. Other tests show pastured eggs also about four to five times the vitamin D of regular eggs, along with 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, seven times more beta-carotene, and 2/3 more vitamin A.
  Vital Farms, the way it ought to be.
• Sugar We're predisposed to like things sweet, an inclination which has been used to our great disadvantage by any number of food manufacturers.
  The Sugar and Sweetener Guide has published the Glycemic Index for Sweeteners which includes many substances new to me. I'm inclined to use palm sugar since it has the lowest GI of the 'natural sugars' and has the important benefit of working much like cane sugar in baking.
• Pepper, unless otherwise specified, means black pepper, freshly ground onto the dish. If you need a lot then pre-grinding a small supply (perhaps 2 days worth) is good practice.
• Vanilla - I always use the real thing but it should be said that Cook's Illustrated subscription required found that high-quality artificial vanilla flavouring is best for cookies
• Caramel colouring sounds so innocuous. Ha! See what Consumer Reports has to say then start reading the labels of most everything in your pantry. I ditched a number of bottles of asian sauces.

I hope you can find something here that you can use and that you continue to enjoy cooking as much as I do.