Hi and welcome to my food blog, A Cook’s Quest! I’m Robert, and I’m deeply passionate about all things food. I’m not a chef by trade, though. A marketing and communications professional with a background in education, I started baking as a teenager, first experimenting with chocolate chip cookies before graduating to cheesecakes, the first of which nearly set my parents’ kitchen ablaze. Rest assured, I’ve learned a thing or two since then!
Around that time, I began to ardently watch TV chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and follow iconic foodies like Anthony Bourdain. Twice the wordsmith that I claim to be, the late, great Bourdain, says it best.
If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.
Anthony Bourdain
Taking this wisdom to heart, at 23, I moved to Bulgaria with the United States Peace Corps. While my adventures eventually brought me home to the U.S., that pesky illness known to all voyagers as the travel bug ultimately bit me and I quickly found myself on the road again – in Saudi Arabia, back in Bulgaria, and now Belgium where I currently reside with my wife.
My Mission
Since my days in the Peace Corps, I’ve worked in academia, marketing, and communications. Cooking, however, is one of my true passions. I find huge pleasure in simply perusing the supermarket shelves, even cutting vegetables.
But cooking isn’t just a hobby. It’s a skill that’s possible for anyone to master with a bit of guidance and practice. I’m here to show you how easy it can be.
What’s more, the basic ability to prepare a meal ensures sustenance, but also mindfulness of what goes into your food and how you consume it. It saves you time and satisfies your budget. Meals are often healthier, more enjoyable, and just plain tastier than any takeout or restaurant.
My Vision
Food possesses more than an ability to sustain. Over the years and throughout my travels, I’ve witnessed its power to convey culture, pass down traditions, and bring friends, family, and even strangers together. Having encountered so many great recipes and dishes, it seemed criminal not to share them. This food blog is my small way of bringing the world to your dinner table.
That’s why I started A Cook’s Quest. Here you’ll find tried-and-tested recipes, from the classics to my very own specialties, always using fresh ingredients. I’ll also share with you tips, news, how-tos and much more, all with a few simple goals in mind: that you can feed yourself and those around you well, enjoy the process, and maybe learn a little something along the way. Thanks for stopping by.