csrule Food Journal

Homemade chocolate croissant, New Year's Day, 2009

(Before I begin, let me offer my deep gratitude to Kate for bringing me on board, and to Charmian for introducing me to this terrific site in the first place.)

There are cooks, and there are entertainers. A select few will fall into both categories, and to them I whisper, ever so quietly, I hate you.

Look, I don't begrudge people who can do it all. I'm just not one of them. My ratty aprons are sauce-speckled, butter-smeared, and grease-stained. And if I don't have flour in my hair and icing on my sleeve I consider it a banner day.

So while I'm a hell of a cook, I'm not a smooth entertainer. Entertainers exude confidence, cool. Their food is exquisitely garnished, and attractively plated, before the guests arrive. No dirty dishes sully their kitchen sinks.

When you come to my house, this is what you'll find: me, in my ugly apron; platters, not yet filled; pots, sputtering on the stove; table, half-set; and a newspaper or two splayed open on the counter.

Now if you can overlook all that -- the messy hostess, the chaotic kitchen, the Jackson Pollacked apron -- then you and I will get along just fine. In fact, we'll get along beautifully. And once a year, on New Year's Day, I'll invite you to my home. I'll ply you and the rest of my friends with the homemade chocolate croissants you see above and the spinach, sun-dried tomato, and caramelized onion quiche you'll see on my blog, 5 Second Rule. You'll get lemon scones, and blueberry coffee cake, citrus salad, and glazed cinnamon buns.

And you'll forgive me, I hope, for the food stuck between my teeth as I smile and greet you at the door.