Preface

This is the online version of my personal recipe collection. It’s a project in continuous development, blending my interests in programming, books, fonts, typography, and, of course, cooking.

Recipes in this collection have been gathered from many sources: some passed to me by family and friends, some culled from cookbooks and websites, and some very few are truly original recipes. Some recipes are here for sentimental reasons — memories of people, food, good times, and childhood. Sometimes I’m looking for something new or different or interesting, and when I find it, I add it to the collection so that I can find it again. Some things are here for quick reference. As a consequence, the collection is still expanding and subject to constant revision.

Almost all of the recipes get modified to suit my taste or to simplify or elaborate some steps so that the results will meet expectations more consistently. If I think something I just made needs revision, or if I had trouble or want to try a different method, I’ll immediately tweak the recipe for the next time. Sometimes my curiousity is piqued, and I’ll research some element of the science behind the cooking and vary some steps. If an experiment doesn’t work out, I’ll revert to a previous version. Now and then I’ll generate an updated hard copy of the collection.

Please don’t be fooled because there’s a website: I’m just a casual cook, not an expert. The collection is merely a snapshot of what I have stumbled into so far. Nothing substitutes for practice and experience, and people who cook for their own families every day probably have more skill. Trust your own judgment. I encourage everyone to experiment and create personal tweaks of their own.

I don’t believe in keeping recipes secret, so feel free to share and expand the repertoire! If you find something here that you really like, let me know. If some recipe doesn’t work for you, or if you’re disappointed in something, I’d like to hear about it: maybe it needs more tweaking. If you’ve made your own improvements, I’d like to learn about them!

There’s a print version of this collection available from Barnes & Noble. While the bookworm in me loves having a beautifully typeset edition, the online version will always be the most up-to-date.

— Bret Whissel