I should be honest with you. I really do not cook much. My partner loves to cook, loves to research recipes, and develop new culinary methods. So there is really little need for me to do much in the kitchen, except to occasionally wash a dirty dish or two.
My partner likes to watch a lot of food TV, listen to food podcasts, and read various cookbooks written by food celebrities. I learn a lot about growing, preparing, cooking/baking/preserving food from these people who have become unwitting conversation partners in our everyday interactions. During the past three years, Chris Ying, Priya Krishna, John DeBary, Rachel Khong, Bryan Ford, Sean Brock, David Chang, and Christina Tosi have become like family to us. And, by family, I mean the distantly related kind, of whom you hear a lot about but who know absolutely nothing about you.
What strikes me about all these food personalities is their verve for not only food but for life. Is there a nicer human being than the gregarious and self-deprecating, Chris Ying? Or, a funnier, wittier individual than Priya Krishna? Or, a more generous person than John DeBary? Has anyone more enthusiasm than Christina Tosi?
