Welcome...hungry?

I love cooking. Cooking magazines, cooking shows, cooking stores...when I am stressed, I cook. When I am frustrated, I cook. When I celebrate, I cook. But I have never considered myself a cook because for as long as I can remember I have never stood in a kitchen and whipped up something from my own inspiration. I thumb through a few cookbooks, surf the net, turn on Food Network or stare into the pantry and the refrigerator. Eventually, I find a couple of things that interest me and I start to pick out the portions of the recipes that apply to what I have on hand, what sounds good and/or what I'd like to give a try. The results are almost always good and sometimes I have "stolen" so many things from so many places, I have difficulty recreating the dish!

But a few weeks ago, while shopping in a local gourmet market, a girlfriend remarked to me about what a good cook I was. I laughed and explained that no, I just steal a lot of good cooks' ideas, take a recipe (or two or three) and make it my own. She returned my laugh and said that anyone can follow a recipe - a cook takes that recipe and creates something new or unexpected.

I thought about that over the next few weeks as I jotted down a few seasoning ideas from a Recipe Source link and Googled some ideas for pork. Was I really a cook or a kitchen crook? Could I claim success at a potluck for a pasta dish my mother made for years but that I turned into lower in fat? When I told my sister-in-law the paper towel in the lettuce container trick that I learned from modifying advice from Rachel Ray, should it come with an asterisk? Then again, shouldn't other people be able to benefit from my ability to borrow, copy and sometimes steal some of the best tips, tricks and recipes out in our vast world?

Thus the idea of the Cook Crook was born. I plan to share my Dr. Frankenstein approach to creating dishes, my sources of inspiration, favorite cooking tips, actual recipes (that will have some room for creativity built in) and even ideas for realistic monthly and weekly menu planning. I also welcome your ideas and own experiences being a cook crook!

First up will be what I have learned from reading 1,000 different crock-pot recipes. Stay Tuned!