I still cook. A Lot.

Clockwise from top left: Valentines Day treats, including homemade labneh; awesome barbeque from Pappy's in Houston; baked steel-cut oatmeal with apples, figs, and chai spices; and homemade olive-rosemary bread.

Cooking isn't a hobby; it is a passion. I don't cook merely out of idleness or hunger or the desire to master a new skill, although these all play a role. I cook because I love it. I love making something new and coaxing interesting flavors and meals out of disparate ingredients, and I cook because I love the people I cook for. 

I haven't posted in about eighteen months. It's not because I don't still cook: I do, every day. I make eggs, generally scrambled, often with onions and garlic and herbs and cheese, just about every morning. I cook dinner--a full, complete meal (with sides!)--three or four times a week. I've explored bread and have developed strong go-to bread recipes. I still scour the food blogs and Food & Wine and Bon Appetit magazines for inspiration, and I always tweak recipes to strengthen and deepen flavors or change them altogether. I still cook--a lot.

So why did I stop blogging?

Because cooking is my passion; blogging isn't. It never was. I began blogging in 2010 to fill idle hours and squeeze even more fun out of my cooking adventures. Now idle hours dwindle and will dwindle further once I graduate law school in May, begin studying for the bar, and (hopefully) become an attorney. 

But I miss writing about food. I miss describing exciting meals and sharing my excitement when I discover or play with a new recipe.

So I'm going to take Hungry Sam out of the freezer, let her thaw, and start posting whenever I feel like it. This won't be regular, but I promise that if you, dear reader(s?), click through, you will share in the fun and get some great, simple, flavorful recipes and cooking ideas.

Welcome home, bon appetit, and b'teavon! 

P.S. The olive-rosemary bread is based on this recipe from Williams Sonoma (I reduced the salt by half, tripled the roasemary, and top the bread with flaky sea salt and rosemary sprigs, and I always bake the loaf in a dutch oven to get a great chewy crust. I'll post about this one soon, I think.

P.P.S. The labneh is easy: drain full fat greek yogurt in cheesecloth and a seive over a bowl in the fridge for 2 days. Stir in salt, top with za'atar (Israeli spice blend) or with thyme and sesame seeds.

P.P.S. The oatmeal is based loosely on this recipe. I think I added ginger and switched half the dates for dried figs; I also topped the dish with apple slices as figs were out of season.