Welcome!

This is my first blog and my inaugural blog post. So, I guess it's necessary to introduce my blog and my perspective. As I say in the description, this blog is about my food and my life. I'll briefly try to introduce both. Here goes.

I'm currently a PhD Candidate (so the title, at least until I finish this dissertation, is a bit ambitious), who loves all things food, and, as you will soon be able to tell, is not afraid of using the occasional parentheses. I really enjoy going to new restaurants, expanding my palate, and creating (or recreating) dishes in my apartment kitchen. I love all kinds of food, from street food to five course dinners, and I'm not afraid to try to recreate what I eat in restaurants at home.

I'm trying to establish a career in academia (not as easy as you might think), and this blog may serve as a creative distraction from my days and nights of reading, researching, and teaching American politics. (I know some of you may say that my life is full of distractions, but at least this distraction will involve writing. It should also serve as a way to share my food exploits to all my readers.) So, as I write this blog, you can expect it to come from two perspectives. First, I'm not a professional chef or food critic. I'm just a regular guy who likes good food and is willing to take adventures in the kitchen. Second, this blog will be very Philadelphia-centric. I'm a Philly transplant (originally from the Midwest), and I really enjoy the cuisine that it offers. So, I'll likely take much of my inspiration from the City of Brotherly Love.

If you've read this far, you must find this somewhat interesting (unless we're related, in which case you are expected to read this far). Hopefully you come back for more food and fun. Please feel free to comment or contact me, as it could make this all more interesting. To Good Food . . .