Next Up: My Kitchen Ineptitude!

Wow, it's been two months since I've written here. I thought about just abandoning it, but instead, I'm renewing my efforts with a new focus for the time being. I still might throw in some restaurant reviews here and there - in fact, I still have lots of notes and photos lined up from the last few months - but for the next few weeks or months or however long, I'll be writing about my kitchen adventures.

My long-time roommate/chef/dining companion has moved out, leaving the kitchen in my potentially dangerous hands. Let's just say I managed to set a bagel on fire in the microwave the other day. I'm capable of basic pasta dishes, an excellent Passover brisket, and some other easy stuff, but I really don't have any background knowledge of the basics of cooking. This blog will chronicle my adventures as I start from scratch and see what I'm actually capable of in the kitchen.

My kitchen goals are also intersecting with my summer weight loss goals, so I'll be focusing on making healthy, lasting changes to my lifestyle - no fad diets or anything. I've always been on the picky side, so each week I'm going to add a new fruit or veggie into my menu, something that I've never really eaten or liked in the past, and see if I can diversify my diet. I'm also going to cut back a little on red meat and try to add more chicken and fish.

This afternoon, I'm going to put together a menu for the week and then head out to Whole Foods (and possibly the Container Store, which is almost like a giant playground for me) to get some food and get organized.

Stay tuned...my first kitchen adventure will take place tonight.

Any suggestions for my summer of health/not burning the kitchen down/trying healthy new foods? If you know of any useful websites or books about cooking and healthy eating for dummies, please let me know :)

One site I'll be using a lot is Still Tasty, a giant database of foods with information about how to store them and for how long.

I'll be back later...we'll see if my kitchen survives the day!

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'll be hitting the Farmers Market circuit too, and I don't have much experience with that, so leave some tips for me :) To haggle or not to haggle...how to find the freshest produce...etc.