In My Kitchen - Strictly Food for Thought

aking, but as he grew into his ownpassion he preferred cooking savorydishes more than following the formulasnecessary for baking. One of Tim’sfavorite childhood memories was whenhis parents took him to the New YorkState Fair and he saw the making of thoseadvertisements up close and personal.Nowadays Tim gets his inspirationfrom cooking shows like Food Network’s“Iron Chef” or “Chopped”. Watching thoseprograms, coupled with his own competitivenature, motivates Tim in the kitchentoday. That and a quest to reproduce a dishhe had overseas that continues to eludehim. But that requires a little backgroundexplanation.Tim came to the North Country in 2006as part of a transition program sponsoredby the military. When he graduated fromhigh school he enlisted in the Army. Hewas active for more than six years and inthat time did two separate tours of dutyin Afghanistan. While overseas Tim hadwhat he calls “some of the most exquisitered beans” he had ever eaten. He claimsthe flavor of the dish must be derived fromthe seasoned pressure cooker they wereprepared in because, try as he might, hesimply can’t replicate the savory legume.But that doesn’t stop him from trying andenjoying the results.When he was settling in to the NorthCountry, Tim enrolled at SUNY Plattsburghand earned his Bachelor’s degree in SocialWork. After graduation he continued toserve his country and his community statesideand he hasn’t stopped there.Tim is currently pursuing his Master’sdegree in Social Work at Springfield Collegeand expects to graduate in 2013. It wouldseem his willingness to serve has no limits.Tim is a father of three: two boys anda girl: Jakob - 10, Taylor - 5 and Tyler - 3.Given the spread in their ages it’s difficultto get all them in the kitchen at the sametime, but one of their favorite things to dowith Daddy is make popcorn. No microwavepackages saturated in coconut oil forthis family. They break out the air popperand the only thing lighter than the kernelsbeing popped is the expression on thechildren’s faces as tidbits of their favoritesnack hit the bowl. Kids are traditionalists—butterand salt for them. Dad, onthe other hand, likes his popcorn with ahealthy dose of hot sauce.For breakfast Tim and the kids like tomake omelets and choose their own fillings.For the kids it’s a whole lot of cheese,One of Tim’sfavorite thingsto make is a“Beef on ‘weck”,a Western New Yorkregional favorite.February 2013 | strictlyfoodforthought.com 7