Welcome to The Ardent Cook.
My name is Arden, and I’m a self-taught home cook with a passion for food (with a little help from my parents, and a lot of help from failed recipes).
I grew up watching my dad roast countless chickens, my mom create delicious unplanned dinners out of literally anything she could find in the fridge, and the likes of Ina Garten, Jacques Pepin, and Giada DeLaurentiis blaring on the small TV in our kitchen each night. Back then, I used to sit up on our small counter, knees tucked under my thighs to create space, mixing ten different spices into a single bowl and calling it “cooking.” Luckily my skills have improved over the years, but my fervor in the kitchen has gone unchanged.
I have always been intrigued by the ways in which food can bring complete strangers together. How is it that a single bite of something can be so good that it creates tangible emotion? Mystified as I am, it is also no secret to me that food, and cooking, is intimidating to so many. Why is it that it takes three times as long to cook a meal than it does to eat one? Why do my eggs stick to the pan every time? What on Earth is “spatchcocking” and why the hell should I care? Questions like these are a driving factor in my desire to start this blog. My goal is to make cooking accessible again. Leave the tweezers, learn a few basics, and actually start enjoying the half hour after work that you used to spend stressing about what to make for dinner. Thanks for joining me!
The Ardent Cook 
I wish you the best of luck.
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Thank you so much, Marilyn!
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