well, here it goes...

hello, my name is eric nelson, i live in evanston, il- a suburb of chicago, i'm 26, i love my job (most of the time) and i love to eat. i cook because i love to eat. it's not only a means to an end, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.
i'm new to the blogosphere, at least as a contributer, but inspiration came to me a couple of nights ago and herein lie my thoughts: i had a friend to dinner and the goal was to impress. she was my ex-girlfriend (we broke up a couple of years ago, we're not best buds, but we share an affection and talk every now and again) and had always loved my cooking, so with minimal ulterior motives i felt it necessary to show her what she'd been missing.
i ran around all day to the farmer's market and grocery store amongst other errands bringing together the components for what i knew would be a stellar meal. i started cooking at two, she showed up at five, we ate at eight... and the food kinda sucked. so six odd hours of prep ended in blah. it had saving graces, but nothing spectacular.
on the other hand some nights i come home from work covered in all manner of foulness, my back creaking and threatening to give in, and yet with whatever's left in the fridge something is created that tastes truly sublime. it seems as if the best meals tend to happen when i'm not paying attention.
so, my thought was to keep track of these happy accidents and perhaps with a greater attention to detail i can figure out what i'm doing right and what i'm doing wrong - and above all: i hope the food benefits.