The recipes I create or adapt for Savories and the website are done so with you in mind. They should be easy to prepare, healthy and attractive, and most importantly, delicious! Our recipe for Pacific Northwest Boil is an excellent example of this – it’s a great recipe! How do I know this? Because I’ve received many more positive comments about it than any in recent memory, and that feels really good.

My creative goal and vision is for you to enjoy cooking, and to have a great time sharing a meal with your family and friends. I get immense satisfaction when that actually happens and I hear about it. It makes me so proud – hang on a sec, I think I’ve got a little something in my eye … *wiping tear.*

I have to give credit where credit’s due, though. My mother-in-law, Sherrie Nagy of Corvallis, is my inspiration and the catalyst for the Pacific Northwest Boil recipe. After printing our Savories issue, I realized that many people, here, in Oregon don’t know what a seafood boil is, despite their popularity back east (with lobster!) or in the south with shrimp or crab, where everything is cooked together in one large pot and then turned out onto a paper-lined table. It’s a time when kids, grownups and even the neighbors come running, choosing whatever ingredients they like best.

These are always great fun for family gatherings or when camping or crabbing on the coast, and I likely wouldn’t have ever known the joy of this dish if not for Sherrie. So, I tip my toque to her. She has been the inspiration behind many of my recipes and is a very fine and talented cook. She works in a real-world home kitchen, and offers great feedback and tips about what’s practical and what’s not. These are true pearls of wisdom for a chef in my position, given the task of translating recipes created by our staff who are used to every imaginable kitchen tool, utensil, and appliance at their fingertips and who sometimes forget that you at home do not always have such equipment. I’m forever indebted to her for her enthusiasm for fine food and cooking. Thank you, Sherrie! (And did I mention that I’m crazy in love with her daughter?)

I will finish with a big shout out to all of you – our customers make the world go round as you cook and care for each other. Cooking is the secret to a happy life in my book. It takes patience, love, and the will to do the tough stuff, knowing there’s a great reward at the end. Cook and you will find what you are looking for (or at least you won’t be hungry, and that’s a good start to any journey).

And be sure to give some of our other favorite recipes on the website a try, like Pecorino and Prosciutto stuffed Chicken or the Citrus Prawn Cocktail, either is perfect on a warm evening! One of my all time favorites is the Barbecue Bacon and Cheddar Sliders recipe, a sure-fire score for tailgating!

If you need some help, you know where to find me. See you at the Market!