What's Cooking?

I am rapidly becoming a devotee of Saveur magazine. Their latest issue celebrates the home cook and the delectable meals from the hearth that sustain each of us day after day. A lot of gourmet and cooking magazines seem to take for granted that the majority of food aficionados aren't necessarily professionally trained or within arm's reach of expensive or exotic resources. So it's gratifying to see this icon of epicurean taste give recognition to the people who transform the mundane into the memorable on a budget in addition to (and in spite of) their busy lives.

"Cooking from the Heart" is at the top of their list of 100 things that make home cooks great, and I couldn't agree more. Even something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich is soulful when made with feeling. It's a tenet that I believe in and one that is at the core of my cookbook.