Katie and Alex; The New Julie and Julia

When I first saw the movie "Julie and Julia" I was entranced by the French culture, the drool-worthy food shots, and of course Stanley Tucci. I thought it was a truly inspired idea to take a cookbook and just cook through the entire thing. A cookbook is somebody's life work. Each recipe is chosen for the reader after being tried and tested countless times. For me, Alex Guarnaschelli was the obvious choice when I had to choose my Julia Child. Her book "Cook With Me" features 150 recipes that were made for home cooks. She is a strong and independent woman who knows her worth and is confident in her skills. What more could I ask for in a mentor? It also helps that she shares the same name as my boyfriend.

As I begin this journey, I am both excited and apprehensive for what is to come. I love to cook, but Alex makes it look way too easy on Food Network. Her book features comments from Bobby Flay, Carla Hall, and Giada De Laurentiis. FOOD ICONS. How could I not at least give this a go?

How often will I post? I don't know. How long will the posts be? Not a clue. But I do know that the food will be yummy and that I will post as many pictures as I can to share with this small corner of the Internet.

First up on the menu: Quiche Lorraine with Thousand Island Tomato and Bacon Salad. Stay tuned friends! Here come the yums!