Bites with Bren

Let's eat!

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It’s About Damn Time

Wow. If you had asked me a year ago what I’d be doing a year now, my answer definitely wouldn’t have been writing this blog, but with the support of my amazing wife, Sarah, I quit my 13 year career of banking to follow my dreams of writing a cookbook. I’m not going to lie, I was scared as hell. It was a huge leap, but my dream is bigger than the leap. I’m excited to share with you the recipes and techniques I’ve learned and developed. My recipes are easy, tasty, and fun to make. Some are classic dishes with a modern twist. Some have been passed down to me from prior generations. A few are just my favorite go-to recipes and of course I’ll be posting recipes and ideas that I came up with on my own.

Food, especially cooking food, has always been something that interested me. I love watching people eat something I made. I stand there, full of anticipation and wait for their reaction. (Yes, I’ve been watching a lot of you eat.) The wide-eyed “MMMMM,” or the eye rolling “moan,” is my kind of compliment. Another compliment is someone going up to my dish and grabbing seconds. And if you really want to knock my socks off, grab seconds before you’re finished with the first helping. Just like a comedian, who loves to make people laugh, I love to make people happy with food. I believe that food and love go together. After all, the fastest way to someones heart is with food. Tell me I’m wrong…

So along with the cookbook I have decided to start a blog. I know, I’m thinking the same thing…..It’s about damn time! It will primariliy be a food-based blog. Here I am going to share recipes, some tips and tricks, food photography, fun table scapes created by Sarah, and a little bit about our lives here in the Old Pueblo. I’m sure Presley will be making his share of appearances on here as well.

Before I bore you to death, I do have a favor to ask! Please, share my posts if you can. Whether it be a recipe you find interesting, a picture I posted, or a tablescape done by Sarah. Oh, and don’t be afraid to leave comments and feedback. I’m looking forward to some interaction. Well, here we go!

Be on the lookout soon for my first recipe post!

 

This entry was posted in:The Southwest

Published by Brendan

I am the oldest, funniest, and best looking of the three pieces of fruit to come from our parents loins. Hmmm… if I was a piece of fruit, I think I’d be a peach. Fuzzy on the outside, a little soft, a little juicy, and a big ol’ heart in center. I believe I was 17 years old. The year was 2003 (holy crap, that was 15 years ago?) when I decided to make the change and become a vegetarian. Born and raised in Northeast Pennsylvania, being a vegetarian was not all that common. And, because it wasn’t all that common, I had to figure out the vegetarian lifestyle all on my own. I quickly discovered how much more energy I had and how much better I felt. A few years later I met the macaroni to my cheese, the basil to my pesto, someone that really made my dough rise, the love of my life, Sarah. Many of you already know the story of our first date and are still wondering why she said yes to a second. For those that don’t know the story, I don’t know if you’re lucky or if you missed out. While only being together for 6 months, we decided to move in together. Actually, Sarah the Stalker found an apartment in Jim Thorpe, PA – where I lived. She had lived just 20 minutes away in one of the next towns over and couldn’t bare to be that far away from this piece of Porter House steak. Can you blame her? So, she bought me a tooth brush for her place and gave me a key, at which point it became our place. Here is where I rediscovered how much I loved to cook – by making our nightly dinners. Also, I may or may not have had a small obsession with Rachael Ray. Fast forward to 2016, and my now wife Sarah and I are moving to the Carne Asada capital of the world, Tucson, AZ. No more cold and no more snow! Tucson is a charming little city with a small town feel in Southern Arizona, about a stone’s throw away from Mexico. There is a lot of Mexican influence here from the street names, the adobe style homes, and the FOOD. The food is incredible here. There’s an old wives’ tale here about the salsa in Tucson. How hot the salsa is depends on how angry the lady in the kitchen making it is at her husband. We have had some mild salsas and we have had some salsas that made you feel like you sold your backside to el diablo. I’ve always had an interest in food, ever since I was a little kid. I have great memories of being in the kitchen with my grandparents and mom that inspire me to continue to cook for people and write recipes. Last June, with the support of my wife, I quit my career of 13 years in banking to focus on writing a cookbook. My cookbook will incorporate dishes I ate growing up, recipes I created, and a modern twist on some classics. My focus is not going to be strictly vegetarian recipes. I have plenty of recipes that include meat. My days start with a large cup of coffee and a walk on the treadmill or a hike through Saguaro National Park. It continues in the kitchen either testing a recipe, writing one, or working on my new website! The cookbook is taking longer than I anticipated, so I decided to start sharing my recipes online and to start to gather a following. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions and don’t forget to subscribe to never miss a recipe!

14 comments

  1. Woohoo, congratulations Brendan! I’m happy you pursuing your dream. Life is too short, off you go…embrace the possibilities, don’t look back and live strong!

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Wow, that certainly is a big leap. I have faith that you WILL succeed! Since your loving wife supports you, you have a dream that you are eager to fulfill, and especially since we’re talking food, how can you not succeed?! I certainly enjoyed following you two after you left Pa.You posted some stellar pictures that I appreciate. Thank your taking on this endeavor, and for wanting to reach out to share this love. I too share that certain anticipation of people’s reactions to a new recipe that I’ve made and hope that there I receive the same responses that you mentioned above.

    I may not respond to your site often but know that I am cheering you both on and will watch your success with a broad smile!

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    1. Thank you Terri! It’s pretty exciting. I’m hoping it take off into something bigger eventually. Right now getting people to the site just word of mouth and people on Facebook sharing my posts to their followers. And there will be a page on here just for photos! We purchased a professional camera and have been taking some nice photos with it! Hope to hear from you soon! 😀

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    1. Hey Donna! Thank you. 🙂 I am still trying to learn how to use the site that publishes my site so I apologize for the delay in responding. I hope all is well!

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