READY, SET, EAT!

Mark Twain once stated that “Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”

Mr. Clemens is spot on with his assessment and I couldn't have said it better! My name is Timothy Jackson and I am addicted to good food. No, really...I am. Throughout my nearly thirty-two years on this Earth (please do not tell everyone), I have had a great pleasure to travel from coast to coast and many points in between. Whether eating a cheesecake from New York City, boudain sausage from New Orleans, cioppino in San Francisco or green chili in Denver, good food is universal, crosses state lines and regional dialects. As a Southerner, we really know what food is. I believe if you did a Southern Culinary "Mount Rushmore", you would find Fried Catfish, Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Cornbread, Homemade Biscuits and Sweet Tea.


I think my love affair with good food started at a young age when I used to watch my mother, aunt and grandmother cook great meals after great meals. I still remember that they all had this love of cooking and how providing a great meal for family and friends is really one of the best feelings in the world. This is what I view food as. How does good food make us feel? It's not good enough that food looks appetizing or smells really good. (These things are important too!) It's how the smell of homemade apple pie fills the entire house and how that perfectly pan fried pork chop tastes on a piece of fresh light (white) bread. Ultimately, good food is about memories. Growing up, I can remember my mother using me a guinea pig trying all types of different recipes from doctor's office food magazines. Growing up, I remember my grandmother cooking Sunday dinner for all of her children. It's about my mom, cousin and I sitting down for dinner EVERY Sunday now. While two of my culinary inspirations are no longer living, they, along with my mother, continue to inspire me on a never ending search for the perfect plate of food.


A Man About Food blog hopefully will take you down a culinary journey with recipes, visiting local restaurants and shopping at local farmer's markets. I hope that you have an empty stomach and ready for this exciting ride! READY, SET, EAT!