Back in 1997 when I was really getting into teaching myself to cook I started buying cookbooks and subscribing to cooking magazines. I found that they were written by professionals for other professionals and did not address my needs and level of understanding.

At the same time the Internet was taking off and I wanted to learn how to build a web site. The result is the Reluctant Gourmet Web Site where I took recipes that I wanted to prepare from cookbooks and cooking magazines and translate them into a language I understood.

It didn’t help me if a recipe said to saute a chicken breast if I didn’t know how to saute properly in the first place. In a way I used the web site as a tool to teach me how to cook. If I wanted to learn a new technique or recipe, I would reasearch it, practice it and then write about it on my site in my own style and language that I though other home cooks would understand and appreciate.

At first I was deathly afaid of publishing my work on the site. I can remember sitting there sweating profusely before I could push the send button to the server. If someone emailed me about a recipe or just wanted to ask a question, I would have anxiety just thinking about responding to them.

Like anything, over time it became easier and easier. My writing hasn’t gotten much better, but I’m no longer afraid to post stuff on the site. Other than the time it takes to respond to question, many I have to reasearch to find an answer to, I really enjoy the email I receive.

A Little History

By day, I used to work on Wall Street as a typical bond broker out there to make the almighty buck, but at night and on weekends, I escaped that arena, donned my chef’s hat and became a Reluctant Gourmet.

I love being in the kitchen. It’s more than just cooking, there are the different foods and wines, the tools and gadgets, the creating and experimenting….It’s like taking the tool bench out of the basement. I found it a great way to escape from my stressed out Wall Street occupation. I’m a nonprofessional, untrained food enthusiast who taught myself to cook by watching girlfriends, reading cookbooks and exploring in the kitchen.

Cooking as a Hobby

I became interested in cooking many years ago when a girlfriend showed me some of her basic techniques in her kitchen. Although I was relegated to many of the paltry tasks, I watched, learned and soon became fairly proficient. We had a great time cooking together in her tiny studio galley kitchen and turned out some phenomenal meals.

I was hooked! Cooking became my hobby. It also became a great way to start romances, but more on that another time. I bought my first good knife, a couple of basic cookbooks, and was fortunate to hook up with some great friends who loved to eat.

How The Reluctant Gourmet Can Help

If you are an amateur, like myself, I can help you cook like a pro. It’s simple. Cooking is easier than building a model airplane when you were a kid, you needed some basic tools and had to follow some simple procedures. Remember when you first started building models, you followed the directions to the letter. Then after a while, you never even looked at the instructions.

Cooking’s the same. Armed with some basic techniques, the right tools, and the best products available anyone can turn out a delicious gourmet meal. I am constantly on the lookout for shortcuts, techniques, products, tips, any thing that will make cooking truly what it’s supposed to be, FUN. I’m not saying you’ll be able to quit your job and start chefing at some fancy chic restaurant, but I will show you some basics that will make you comfortable in your own kitchen.