Preheating the Oven

On weekday afternoons, we here at the bottom of the corporate conglomerate seek mental reprieve in our cubicles. Whilst our managers dial in for their conference calls, we look to Facebook, to ESPN.com, to Craig's List for solace from our spreadsheets. But not me. Forget online networking or fantasy sports--to lift my mind from the monotonous, I click my way through Cooklight, AllRecipes, and Epicurious. I lose myself in easy appetizers, special occasion sides, and to-die-for desserts. Fantasizing about dinner parties, I find myself planning menus and making shopping lists for meals I may or may not actually cook. When no one is watching, I send my favorites to the company printer. I still don't know who swiped my copy of "Mediterranean Chick Pea Salad." I can't say I blame them. It looked delicious.

If ever I had a true, consistent love in my life, it is food. In eating, cooking, and sharing, I find complete satisfaction.

During a particularly rough week at work, I was weighing the merits of one brownie recipe over another, when a thought struck me: if I love food so much, what on God's green, grain, and fruit-producing earth am I doing at a desk instead of over a stove? I started looking into culinary schools, but I don't think I have the guts to do it. Yet.

So that's why I'm starting this blog. Someday, I WILL go to culinary school and open my own cafe/bakery. I can't tell you which, because 1) that would ruin the surprise and 2) Jess and I haven't decided yet. Jess is one of my best friends of all time. She's a fellow sunflower girl (i.e. Kansas native) and feels just as passionate about cooking (and eating) as I do. When you discover someone who also looks up culinary schools while on the clock, you know you've found a kindred spirit.

This blog is our sketchbook. We'll record our recipes, track our ideas, and maybe even vent about our current jobs to stay motivated. We are laying the foundation, preheating the oven as it were. While we won't tell all (you can't make a fortune on your signature scones if the secret recipe goes public), we'll record our progress. And if you are stuck in a cube, we'll be your cranial clemency while boss is away :-)

~EO