The Basics

The Best Salt, Pepper and Oil:

So there are a few ingredients that are basic and haven't changed for years in my kitchen.  After trying them all the conclusion is that kosher salt trumps regular salt and freshly ground pepper (and a lot of it) can't be outdone by its already ground counterpart.  I also only cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, its the only great fat I use (side note: unless we are cooking breakfast then butter factors into the equation, of course).  I don't go hunting for the rarest and the most expensive and if I'm cooking at a high temp I switch out regular olive oil however be careful because it will burn and most olive oil experts will say NOT to do this.  

Fresh Herbs:

Within the last year experimenting with fresh herbs has become my joyful bliss as nothing tops the real thing.  I encourage you to try new flavors and trust me half the process is exposing yourself to new flavors so please start out light and continue adding.  By no means are my recipes exact, they are designed to have leeway. 

  

The Citrus:

The art of cooking allows your tongue to dance with sharpness of bitter the aliveness of salt the pucker of sour and the indulgent of sweet.  I'm the first to admit that I probably overly salt and pepper so throughout the years I needed to develop ways to trick my tongue and that's where citrus and Rachel Ray come into play.  Citrus hits the same part of the tongue as salt and RR (yes we are friends) was the first to introduce the idea to me.  Most of my recipes include some form of zest and citrus fruits can always be found in my kitchen to wake up the average taste bud.  

What to expect:

So the first recipe is out and each week as I cook the recipes will be posted along with pictures.  Once a week I will have my mother feature one of her recipes or I will feature one of my grandmother's recipes(I have a stack).  The Facebook page is called Salt Pepper and Love where questions can be asked if something is confusing.  

Its designed to be fun, flavorful and spark ideas to get you cooking on a budget and stressed for time.  Trying new ingredients, being playful with flavor and incorporating simple ingredients, salt, pepper and a little bit of love will only make you one fabulous chef.  

LETS COOK.