New Purpose.

I am rededicating the purpose of this blog, and funnily enough, it has to do with my previous post. I just left Borders, having made a trip in between classes, to pick up the highly-antipated Momofuku cookbook.

Living in New York the past two summers, I admit I only made it to Momofuku Noodle Bar once, Milk Bar once, and the infamous and seemingly-unattainable Ko once. The food at all three places was soul-satisfying and delicious, bold, unafraid of salt and spice. I usually ignore overzealous hype on any topic, but I suppose I fell victim to the much heralded life-changing experience everyone raved about. I was not disappointed in the food by any means - but maybe I expected David Chang's cuisine to present a brand new outlook on life. It wasn't the best meal of my life, or at least I didn't realize it at the time. It's a tough bar for any experience. In any case - there is something indescribable about the Momofuku quadrumvirate (soon to be expanded - a quintumvirate? Quinquennium? Quintet? Whatever. I just dig unusual words.). It has a draw, a centrifugal force that makes you want to go back and try something new, try again, even if you weren't crazy about it the first time. It is insulting to Chang and his staff to chalk it up to mere novelty. It's the bad boy clique in high school - the ones that will probably beat you up but you still want in. It has a unique appeal, and the food to back it up.

A bit of a tangent, but in short, I have an inexplicable love affair with the Momofuku empire. I've only experienced a wisp of all it has to offer, and I can't wait to get back to the city and immerse myself in its unabashedly porky goodness. It's hard to make that sound eloquent, but I never claimed to be. I hope I get around to reviewing my meals at those places, among all the other places I've eaten, but the purpose of this blog will be to cook my way through the Momofuku cookbook.

Whoa whoa whoa - what? Now, let me preface this by saying - I realize this isn't an original idea. There are a million people who cook their way through cookbooks and live to blog about it. The only one I've ever read was French Laundry at Home - where the hilarious and appealing Carol cooks her way via Thomas Keller. In. Sane. I know there's a lot of attention being given to user-generated content, to Julie and Julia (which I never saw, but keep meaning to), to blogs vs. mass media, especially in light of the unfortunate and abrupt end to Gourmet Magazine. I'm not trying to replace anyone's experience, I'm not trying to put myself out there as a cooking expert or even an intermediate home cook. I don't plan on posting the recipes themselves, because this beautiful book should be bought by anyone and everyone who loves food (although I do hope to post some of my own recipes or companion dishes). I'm just trying to find my creative voice, which I feel has been stifled after three years in law school. Is it weird to look for creativity in a wholly unoriginal idea?

Beyond the fact that I'm just a little fish in a world of beautifully photographed and written food blogs, it is CRAZY to think I'm going to make it through Chang's cookbook for a multitude of other reasons. The first, and not least of which, being - his recipes are freaking NUTS. Pork head? Kochukaru? Where am I going to find these things in my moderately-sized city? Now, I consider myself pretty adventurous with eating, having lived abroad and across these several states. My family is a wild mix of cultures, the most predominant being Filipino, so I'm no stranger to weird ingredients (although don't ask me to eat a fully formed duck in an egg. Please.). But I don't picture myself waltzing out of Whole Foods with an entire PIG HEAD in my environmentally-friendly cloth bag. And further - will I be able to bring myself to actually interact with said pig head if I manage to procure it? I mean...I had no problem chasing my dog around with a live lobster, but I've coveted too many mini pig pets to know for sure I can cut it.

Another obstacle is...do I really have the time and resources to pull this off? I am still a student, and barely have time to catch up on Dexter (and my homework). I don't have those fancy schmancy cameras that make food look like it was sent from the gods; I can't find my meat thermometer and I definitely don't have the most poise in the kitchen. Not to mention I have a very short attention span and have already abandoned this blog once before. But there's no need to be a Debbie Downer. This blog gives me an outlet, something to do and something to keep me inspired and entertained.

Despite all the arguments against doing this, somehow, I remain undaunted. Maybe it's the legal career looming in the hazy foreground. Maybe it's my love of food and need to create. Maybe it's my fear that once I leave law school I'll turn into a boring old adult. Maybe I'm just fucking nuts.