The beginning of a blog

I've always loved to cook and decided it might be fun to share some of my favorite recipes with the hope that they will bring as much enjoyment to others as they do to me and my family.

My love of cooking came from my wonderful father, who passed away almost six years ago. He adored food and used it to bring people together. Some of my earliest food memories are of visiting a tiny Italian grocery store with my dad and sampling delicious meats and cheeses that my young taste buds had never experienced. I also watched my dad organize a Fourth of July picnic at my family's lake house that brought together all our friends and family for a wonderful celebration year after year.

This brings me to the beginning of this blog, Weekend Gourmet. After my dad passed away, I found much comfort in cooking. It made me still feel close to him even though he was no longer with us physically. I also began to witness how much a special meal could bring people together or how a dessert cooked especially for someone could make them feel special. More than anything, cooking gave me a creative outlet that was very different than my day job and a way to escape from anything that was troubling me.

Now, almost six years after my dad passed away and my enjoyment of cooking began, I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful 10 month-old son. I also work full-time which means that my opportunities to throw myself into cooking (and to cook what I really want to cook versus throwing together a quick weeknight meal) happen mostly on the weekend. My hope is to use this blog to share delicious recipes that you can cook for your family and friends and perhaps find the same joy I have found in cooking.