Why is reading important to cooking? Because by simply reading a recipe that’s logically laid out you can cook ANYTHING! Even the most complex recipes, when deconstructed, come back together again when a procedure is followed. That’s where the reading comes in.

When you first see a recipe, ours or anyone else’s, READ IT. Not once, but twice. The first read gives your taste buds an inkling of what the result will taste like — it whets your appetite. If you’re salivating, READ IT AGAIN. This time, with a pencil in hand to write down any ingredients you don’t have in your cupboard. This reading also demystifies all the steps and alerts you to what you may need to prepare ahead. Many recipes dance around the steps. In one paragraph you’re whirring and whisking, and in a later paragraph you’re finding a bowl large enough  to accomplish those activities . We believe in order.

We’ve taken our recipes and laid them out differently than what you find in cookbooks. My muse, Julia Child, used a similar structure in her first cookbook – “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” I’ve taken it a step further so that even the complete novice in the kitchen can turn out elegant meals.

“If You Can Read You Can Cook.blog” is a way of introducing non-cooks to the satisfaction you get when those around your table stop talking and start eating. The grunts, groans, moans and sighs are all compliments – and they’re aimed at YOU!

So, strap on your apron, overlap your little hand towel into the belt, turn on some music and get ready for some of the least expensive, most rewarding therapy there is.  Cooking!