About

Welcome to my kitchen and yes, the photo below really is my kitchen (when it’s all cleaned up and staged for a photo shoot), but otherwise, it looks like any other kitchen in America when it’s used on a daily basis — pots on the stove, dishes in the sink, mail and other junk on the island.

First of all, I’m not a Chef and have never trained or taken cooking lessons. I just love to eat and I love to “create” new dishes and experiment without a recipe. I believe anyone can cook and create something delicious — it’s time that people learn to cook again and not rely solely on the microwave to “heat up a dinner”!

I like to get inspiration from other meals and recipes out there — from restaurants, cooking shows to cookbooks and recipes scattered all over the web. I’ll start with basic elements of a dish, see what else I have in the kitchen and go from there. I cook by sight and taste and modify as I go along (something I learned from my Mother) and so the downside is that whoever is fortunate to taste that meal at that moment is truly getting a one of a kind experience since it will never be recreated again in this lifetime. I’ll go the grocery store to stock up on basic items or if there is something specific in mind, with a general grocery list, but often, I’ll walk away with a bag filled with different foods that inspired me and caught my eye that day.

So as I post my ideas please be aware that these recipes aren’t exact guidelines tested numerous times and perfected to the nth degree, but rather, inspiration for those of you who also like to experiment and try new things. It will be up to you and your personal taste to adjust as needed since I know we all have our own unique palette. The other note is that these dishes are just the right size for about 2 people so adjust accordingly to fit your family’s needs.

In the end, it all stems from the fact that my Mother is the most amazing cook (and yes, I’m sure we all say that, but when everyone else says it, you know it’s true) and I thank her for inspiring me to cook! So to my Mother, thank you for feeding your children the most amazing meals growing up and for whipping up those dishes upon request for birthdays and holiday celebrations!

Enjoy and I look forward to hearing your feedback and creative ideas on other food inspirations!

All the best,

Danny

197 thoughts on “About”

    • You are very welcome and thank you for visiting my blog. Go experiment and don’t hold back. I believe you can always “doctor” it up somehow if it’s not perfect the first time around 🙂

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  4. Danny, your kitchen is to die for! Enjoy every moment in here. I love your oven! Imagine not having to bend down all the time to put something in or check something. 🙂

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    • Thanks for visiting my blog. Yes, would love to see your kitchen…always great to see different styles and looks for kitchens across America! 🙂

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  7. Hi Danny. Just stumbled upon your blog. Your kitchen is as gorgeous as the food you make. I am not a chef either but I try my best to make enjoyable food. I learned how to cook just two years ago and I can’t stop now. I’m looking forward to more amazing creations. 🙂

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  8. Danny,
    Thanks so much for the “like” on my post! Can’t wait to try out a couple of your tapas recipes.

    Your blog is beautiful – I aspire to photos as clean and sharp as yours! Probably means I need to be a using a camera other than my iphone . . .

    Thanks again, and I look reading more of your blog.
    best- Kristin

    Reply

    • Hi Tom! Several optionsL:
      – feel free to send me an e-mail at dannyskitchen2012@gmail.com
      – do you have any photos on your blog? If so, let me know and I’ll check them out
      – or you can also share some of your photos on my Facebook page
      Hope these options work for you and can’t wait to see!
      Danny

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  11. Wow! Your blog inspires me not only to eat better (which I think I do fairly well at) but also to step up my blog with better photos, more videos and a cleaner look. Thank you for stopping by my blog too. Keep up the good work.

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  13. Hi Danny
    Thank you for taking a look at my blog and likeing the post about teh frangipani.
    I am lucky to live somewhere with such beautiful flowers – and such beautiful food. You’d like it!
    Dorinda (lakesideindia)

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  16. Thanks for dropping by, Danny.

    I, too, ,love to cook, and have done so since I was around eleven or so. I also love making recipes my own, and trying to duplicate dishes I’ve sampled in restaurants (usually with some pretty good success).

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  17. Hi Danny. Just discovered your blog, and I’m “eating” it alive! I love food and cooking (and the whole dining experience, for that matter), and your blog is incredibly inspiring! Can’t wait to dig in and explore even further!

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  21. wow, what a kitchen!
    but even if i have a kitchen like yours, i’m afraid i will never be able to cook something edible 🙂

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  22. I cannot believe this is your kitchen! I will never ever post a photo of my own (even though it’s quite big! but nothing in common with your beautiful modern one).
    I totally agree about the role our Mothers play in our future approach to food and cooking. I’m looking forward to follow your blog! What I have seen looks fascinating!

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    • Yes, it is my kitchen — thank you! I’d love to see your kitchen — it’s great seeing everyone’s style since everyone is so different. Thanks for the great compliments!

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  23. I said “wow, is that his kitchen?” as soon as I opened your page and bam, first line on this page confirms it. I love it. It’s edgy yet homey. I love the zen it exudes.

    Following you because it only makes sense… 🙂

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  27. Hi Danny…thanks so much for stopping by my blog. The before and after pics of your kitchen are such a treat. What a transformation! I’m so glad to stop by today and I can tell I’m going to need to spend more time here, just for an extra dose of inspiration.

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    • Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you like what you’ve seen so far. My recipes and blog are all about sharing ideas and thought starters for people to get creative and cook in their kitchens. That’s what I liked about your post based on your own take on stuffed zucchinis. Looking forward to seeing what else you come up with!

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  30. I am officially a huge fan within 10 minutes of reading! Gorgeous photos and that kitchen is beautiful! Takes me breath away, especially since my kitchen is a practically closet with an oven… The ingredients you use are right up my alley. So glad you liked my post so I could find your blog–this is seriously a gem!

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  33. Beautiful kitchen, Danny. Not even on our kitchen’s best hair day, does it EVER resemble the likes of yours. 🙂

    Thanks for following along!

    Blessings,
    Cara

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  36. Thank for the “Like” @ lizascooking.wordpress.com
    I also love your blog. I enjoy the read on your blog. Looking forward to reading more.
    Your kitchen is absolutely FABULOUS!

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  40. What a fantastic blog and a very classy kitchen. Mine’s full of French hens. They broke in one day and took over the place. I enjoy cooking and make most from scratch, which apparently is not so rare now that I’ve found some fellow bloggers who love to be creative in the kitchen. I’ll be watching your site! Thanks for a lot of very cool ideas!

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  45. I love, love, love your blog. You’ve always got something that looks amazing and probably tastes even better, going on.

    Not sure where you are in follower count, but if you’re above 200 then you can store this one in the closet with the 14 other Leibster’s you’ve gotten. 🙂 http://wp.me/p28KeB-7y

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  50. Thanks for visiting my blog. I don’t do much container gardening–I’ve always had better luck simply sticking things directly in the ground, especially since perennials don’t always come back from year to year in containers. Love your kitchen, too. I think good results depend as much on fresh ingredients and seasoning than on appliances and tools–at least I hope so since my kitchen is much smaller. Look forward to following your cooking experiences.

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    • Thanks Donna. The backyard is the last area that needs to be redone so I don’t want to plant perennials and waste money until I have a “game plan” for it all. In the meantime, I’ve just been planting in containers to get some herbs for cooking. Glad you like the kitchen and I agree, it’s also all dependent on ingredients (and some skills) 🙂

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    • You are very welcome….love seeing how people can stretch ingredients into many meals and who doesn’t love pizza? 🙂 Thank you for visiting as well!

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  64. Thanks for stopping by Domestically Impaired’s blog and liking my Pepperoni Log attempt. Your blog is joyful and mirthful as well as informative. Just the kind I look for. I look forward to seeing your new stuff while looking through the posts you’ve already done. I tweeted your videos – love ’em!

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  67. Awesome blog, but even more awesome kitchen. Wow, as I was reading your cooking philosophy, I thought that you described exactly how I have been cooking all my life, like a mini IronChef. Keep blogging. BTW, thanks for stopping by myfoodscenes.

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  74. Danny, first of all – LOVE THE KITCHEN!!! and glad I am not the only one who professes a mess of “gear adrift”! and I too, create and often cannot duplicate flavors or recipes. It is all on a whim of fancy – I’m Italian and when I have time, I make my own gravy (sauce) – I can’t tell you how exactly but I can give you guidelines. Is it the sign of a good chef or a messy eater? I don’t know but it’s a fun ride!

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  77. Thanks for liking my post! And when I saw your header photo I was about to write “If that’s your kitchen, I am jealous!” But I see that it is your kitchen, and I am indeed jealous :). I look forward to reading more!

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  81. I have to start by saying your kitchen is beautiful! We have a very similar style of cooking…through inspiration, taste and sight. I hardly ever follow recipes. I just make things up as I go…so it’s hard to relay exactly what I’ve done…but I try my best. Look forward to getting some inspiration from your work!

    Shelby (thesimpledish.com)

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    • Thanks Shelby! I’m totally with you — this blog has forced me to try and be more accurate since I tend to cook with a dash of this, a splash of that and taste, taste, taste along the way 🙂 Looking forward to seeing what you come up with as well!

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  84. I love your blog so far, Danny – gorgeous photos, recipes and seriously, this kitchen is making me swoon. I live in a 950 square foot apartment and would KILL for a kitchen this glorious! I can’t wait to follow you and see what you’re cooking up next.

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    • Thank you so much! I know what you’re talking about — I used to live in a 924 sq ft place in the East Coast and the kitchen was just a counter along one wall. Thank you again!

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  91. wow, so happy that you liked my post because I really like your blog! I am drooling looking at some of the recipes. Now I need to figure out how to modify them so that they fit within my strict diet needs! 🙂

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    • You are so welcome! It was the avocado that drew me in. I loved how you blended it in. Thanks for liking my blog as well and I hope you can take some of the ideas and make them your own. 🙂

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  93. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love your kitchen! I can already tell many of your recipes will end up being apart of my recipe share! Cheers and Happy Cooking!:)

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    • You are very welcome and welcome to the world of blogging! I have only been doing this for a short while as well so great to meet new bloggers and thank you for the feedback! Thank you also for liking my kitchen! I’m envious you get to experience both wonderful places! 🙂

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  96. Okay, I set the computer on scroll, washed the car & cat, took a nap, came back to the computer, and it was just reaching the bottom of your comments section! 🙂
    I love this quote from you, “I cook by sight and taste and modify as I go along (something I learned from my Mother) and so the downside is that whoever is fortunate to taste that meal at that moment is truly getting a one of a kind experience since it will never be recreated again in this lifetime.”
    Exactly. This is what I do. My family is always slightly puzzled by this, they’ll say, “i like your other version better..”
    And I’ll be, “errrr, which other version?”
    Which is also why I find writing recipes for the blog sort of stressful. It’s so absolute, where when I cook its more like, “oooh, let’s throw this in, and that, and see?”
    Love your blog and your food!

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    • Cindy, too funny with your first comment! 🙂 Thanks — nice to find someone else who cooks like me. For me, this blog helps me capture those recipes that I just create on the spot so at least I’ll always have a reference point in the future. Funny thing is I’ll probably look at it, but won’t follow my own recipe if I want to recreate it for another meal. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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