Happy New Year, Let the Cooking Begin

I love food.

As I look back on 2012 I a filled  with wonder and amazement at all that happened.   It was a wonderful year full of great cooking experiences.  From training all over to speaking engagements, it was a great year for cooking and learning.  I have learned so much in my cooking adventures and am so excited about the new year and opportunities for cooking and teaching.  So many great things are happening.  So many new opportunities are coming up and I am so excited.  The great adventure is just beginning.  

The fun part will be this blog.  I am going to post frequently and keep everyone updated on my "culinary food adventures".  From just cooking a simple meal to traveling and sharing with others the love and passion for good food that I have.  

I will keep you posted on new developments in the grain world and I will work to inspire you to catch the vision of how important food is to our families and friends.  

Food is so powerful and this blog will be all about using it to bless the lives of those around us in every way from simple meals to "Third Sunday Dinners" and all the great things in-between.  

So hang on and "Let the Cooking Begin".

Me and Granny Z baking pies.  One of my best memories of 2012

Last year I had an amazing opportunity to go to Northern Az. to bake pies with Granny Z.  She is amazing and bakes the best pies ever.  She is the Grandmother to my son in law and so  she really is family.  It was one of my best cooking experiences ever.  Oh my we had a great day.  She is as darling as she looks and I adore her.  To me this is what life is all about, sharing our love of food with each other.  When sharing the talents we have with others our friendships deepen and take on a whole new meaning.   She could not believe that "Chef Brad" wanted to learn from her.  Believe me,  I learned a lot from her and not just about baking pies.  Granny Z and I now share a deeper friendship and my love of pie baking has increased so much.  I, because of her, enjoyed making and teaching about pies this year like never before.  Thank you Granny Z for your time.  I love you.  

The Glass family from Idaho at my home for dinner.

The Glass family is from Idaho,  I just met them  The young man in the middle served as a missionary for the LDS church in my area.  I fed him many times  and grew to love him for his devotion to his mission.  Over the holidays his family came to Arizona to see where their son had served, and to meet the people he served over his mission.  He called and told me he was coming to town.  I invited them to dinner.  What an amazing evening.  It was so delightful to meet his parents and to feed them.  His younger brother, Brian,  captured my heart as he totally loved my cooking.  He filled his plate several times and all through the meal could not stop talking about how great it was.  Talk about a great way to end the year.  He made me feel so special and like I had done something extraordinary.   I hugged him as he left and he said "Chef Brad,  you are like a great big teddy bear who cooks".  As always with when it comes to preparing food I end up being fed more than what I do to feed them.   Thank you Glass family for making my holiday season bright and wonderful.  I am so glad I got to meet you and Brian I will feed you any time you are in Arizona. You asked if you could adopt me.  Consider it done.
Happy new year.


Happy New Year to you all.  May your year be filled with great food memories.  Let the Cooking Begin as we move into a new and wonderful new year.