Amateur Chef Dining In

Hello, internet
I am an amateur chef, and by amateur I mean that I have not had formal training nor am I in a culinary career - though I have worked in the food service industry. Needless to say, I love food. I love to cook food and I love to eat food. It is my intention for this blog to express my thoughts on the subject of food; restaurants, home cooking, cook books, food television, and so on.
First, I'll tell a little more about myself. Growing up in the deep south I was introduced to good ole southern cooking at an early age. I'm not going to lie, much of it was fried. However, I also grew up with the exotic foods from my father's side of the family. Originally from Brasil, he moved all over the world before settling here in the US. Because of this, he gained an international palette, and he passed it on to me. At a young age, I began experimenting with food; different flavors, textures, cultures. Through that experimentation, I honed my tastes. I gained a love of fusion dishes; combining spices and ingredients from different corners of the globe. Recently I've been experimenting with whole spices and blending my own. The results have been astonishing. I have also been altering my own recipes to account for these rather than pre-mixed seasonings.(ie McCormick, etc.) - not that there is anything wrong with pre-made spices, I just want to achieve a more natural flavor.
Since I've had not formal training, I lack certain skills and techniques; such as, proper chopping techniques, and I have difficulty cooking certain foods, but I teach myself through experimentation and through cook books and cooking shows.
I also have a love of restaurants. I often go to different ones just for the experience, and I love tasting different foods. In this blog I will describe some of these; some of my favorites as well as new experiences. This blog will be the good, the bad, and the ugly of food, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Amateur Chef