My name is Robyn, and I like to cook. That's really the only thing relevant here, but I'll share a bit more.
I live in Houston, Texas with my wonderful boyfriend, Adam. We're new in town (been here about 7 months), and one of the things I've grown to really enjoy here, more than I ever did before, is cooking. I learned to cook by helping my mom when I was younger, and since then I've tried to develop a knowledge and appreciation for different cuisines, what types of flavors go together, and various techniques.
We live in a 1000 square foot apartment, but I'm fortunate to have a really substantial kitchen, that I've managed to stock pretty well. We don't have lots of storage space so I haven't been able to really keep the pantry stocked. I own a decent amount of gadgets and utensils, but nothing too fancy or complicated. I plan to do a separate post introducing you (whoever you, imaginary reader(s) are) to my kitchen in a little while.
So now for my cooking style/philosophy. I like to use the best ingredients possible - organic, local, sustainable - while still being practical about prices. I try to keep our meals pretty healthy, but I don't shy away from cheese or bacon in the name of healthful eating (you'll notice that if you keep reading). I really prefer to use whole ingredients, because I think they make for better food, and I prefer to eat a little more fat if it means keeping chemicals out of my body. In general I like to follow Michael Pollan's food rules: eat whole foods, only eat things your grandmother (or great-grandmother) would recognize as food, don't consume foods that contain ingredients you can't pronounce, only eat things that contain 5 or fewer ingredients, and no high-fructose corn syrup. I can't say that I stick to that 100%, but I do my best.
So in this space, I want to post my recipes and thoughts on food and provide a community for like-minded people to get some tips and share some of their own. Enjoy Swirling Kitchen!
