The Very Hungry Salamander

A Man-child from the North Woods Attempts to Cook…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved food and had a keen interest in consuming it in large quantities. I grew up eating simple but delicious Mediterranean inspired meals made from fresh ingredients, courtesy of my mom. But until recently, I had no knowledge of and little interest in the art of food preparation.

The transition to college and the rapid approach of adulthood convinced me that it might be a good idea to learn to feed myself. So, a couple of years ago, I began shadowing my mom in the kitchen and taking notes on the wholesome recipes that I grew up on. Now, after a year or two of learning and experimentation, I’ve become an avid (if still unskilled) home-cook.

My goal is to harness the culinary knowledge of my ancestors and combine it with some experimentation and innovation of my own in order to prepare simple but flavorful recipes. The purpose of this blog is to share my journey to kitchen self-sufficiency: the stories, recipes, experiments, recommendations, triumphs, failures, and whatever else might come up.

Join me as I attempt to unravel the mysteries of cooking, bake the perfect loaf of bread, recreate the classic Michigan wild blueberry pie, and hopefully, keep myself fed.

“Food is very important”

-Great Grandma Mary Lizzadro

Recent Posts:

Brownies

Dense, Chewy, Fudgy, Chocolate Brownies. Ingredients: 1 cup flour 2 cups white sugar ¾ cup cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder A few turns of salt 2 sticks of butter 4 eggs Vanilla extract 1-2 tablespoons of expresso powder or a splash of coffee Semi-sweet chocolate chips (for an extra fudgy brownie) Optional toppings: chocolate… Continue reading Brownies

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Blueberry Pie

How to describe blueberry pie? Pie transcends the narrow scope of what food can be. It crashes over you like a wave, shattering the confines of the senses, eclipsing the limitations of the emotional spectrum, breaking the chains of rational conceptualization, and surpassing the limitations of the physical world. Pie awes the tastebuds. It satiates… Continue reading Blueberry Pie

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Basic Bread

Even after learning to make a decent loaf of bread, I still had the idea that baking good bread for say, sandwiches or toast (the kind with that nice muffin top shape), was a difficult undertaking. But after my mom made a few experimental loaves, we discovered that it’s not too difficult to make a… Continue reading Basic Bread

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12 thoughts on “The Very Hungry Salamander”

  3. This was a great idea, my dad wants to try to make the chili and I might take a crack at the popovers. I look forward to future posts!

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  4. Yummmm! Jim and I are looking forward to doing some sampling of salamander dishes this summer. p.s. I really, really love popovers (and yours look simply delicious).

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  5. You put the Joy in cooking!
    (And eating!) Thank you for sharing…looking forward to more! (Hi “Mom”❣️)

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