Inane thoughts and insane ramblings

Why do I love cooking? Perhaps it is because it takes our most primal need, the need to feed ourselves and family, and creates it into an art form. I don’t know if there is a better way to demonstrate our love for family and friends than to share the joy of food. It is a way of saying that I really enjoyed this and I want to share it with you. Food is an unspoken connection between people.

Another thought is that recipes have both an immortality and heritage to them. Recipes are handed down from generation to generation. For example, I first tasted the Lisbon BBQ recipe when I was maybe 7 years old and visiting my grandparent’s tobacco farm in Lisbon, North Carolina. The Lisbon Fire Department made it each year as a fundraiser. It was magical and made my mouth come alive. My grandparents have been gone for years now but this is one of my favorite recipes and I can’t eat it without becoming that blonde headed, sun tanned boy standing barefoot on their farm devouring a bbq sandwich.

Recipes are a way we share cultural differences. Many people may have no other exposure to other cultures than food. Chinese food. Mexican food. Soul food. Japanese food. Italian food. You name it.

Finally, food is currency. Long before gold and jewels were treasured, food was the most valuable commodity. Those who could provide food prospered. Those who could not, perished. The recent New Orleans disaster proved that is still true today. Food and water were king.

So, while these pages may consist of ink and paper, this cook book is so much more than that. It is sharing what we have created for our family over the past 10 years. It is sharing what our families have passed on to us. It is our way of saying we love you and we want to share this with you.