Good people can make bad food

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It's Time to Get Baked.

After years of struggling with large mixing bowls, forks and huge messes, I decided it was time to splurge on a KitchenAid stand mixer for all my baking needs. This might have been the best decision I made in 2009. Upon it's triumphant installation into my kitchen, I wanted to do nothing more than make brownies. And here is why brownies are awesome:

1. Everyone loves them. They are chocolately, but not overwhelmingly.
   
2. Chocolate tastes good with so many things, including nuts, cinnamon and your girlfriend's hot body.
3. They are easy to make.
   
4. They are not cupcakes.

So brownies it was (and still has only been). I started doing my usual recipe research - looking on Epicurious.com, FoodNetwork.com, in my myriad of cookbooks - and realized that everyone seems to claim their brownies are the best. Logic tells me that not every brownie can be the best. No matter what your family tells you. And so I set out to put an end to this brownie debacle. The only way to solve this dilemma was to have my own brownie bake-off. It has been only a little time consuming, and a lot of delicious.

The Spice of Life

Here's the deal: I love to eat. I love trying new foods, I love cooking, I love eating out. I am firm believer in carbs and dessert. But, I seriously do not want to get fat. Luckily, I have the metabolism of an 8 year old boy, an affinity for running and a penchant for thinking healthy things taste good.

Many chefs will tell you that if you want to add flavor to your dishes, add some fat. It's true - biscuits made with lard taste best, and pizza made with fat-free mozzarella tastes like shit. Trust me, I've tried.

But when I cook at home, I try to find any way I can to add less fat to my meals while still maintaining a delish and complex flavor. And that, my foodies, is where this blog comes in handy. Instead of adding fat to your dish, add a little SPICE.

Yep, I am a spice advocate. I do not endorse bland. I support food that screams with depth and complexity. And no, spice does not mean spicy. It just means a more-fulfilling dining experience that appeals to all the senses - aroma, taste, color and sometimes texture - and virtually no calories (Dieters rejoice. Everyone else, too).

Alright, enough explanation. It's time to make some kick ass food.