For me cooking is cathartic — it doesn’t have to be perfect, and there is plenty of room for experimentation. Whoever told you that you shouldn’t play with your food is wrong. Think of instructions more as guidelines, written to show you the general way. Recipes are meant to be enjoyed the way that you like them. I usually eyeball each ingredient when I make food instead of carefully measuring it out (but don’t worry I do measure when I write recipes!) This allows more room to experiment and make food to taste.

My uncle is a chef and my food idol. I love visiting his house in Orange County, California because I can always expect a gourmet five-course meal, including delicacies like homemade cured bacon, or duck confit tacos. He helped me break into the world of good food and get away from my safety blanket, ranch dressing.

When I was younger I was a very picky eater. My diet consisted mainly of plain pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese, white rice, chicken with ranch dressing, really anything as long as it was covered in ranch dressing. My mom actually had to carry around packets of ranch dressing. Needless to say I was an embarrassing child to eat with. These days a dozen oysters on the half shell with mignonette sauce or freshwater eel sushi are among my favorite dishes. Obviously my palate has evolved!

The name of my blog, Cooking with Cocktail Rings is inspired by my family. I inherited a collection of vintage cocktail rings from my great-grandmother. They are large, sometimes ostentatious rings set with gemstones one would often wear to a cocktail party or formal gathering. I think it’s a great way to pay homage to my family history.

And again, thanks for stopping by!

Kylie