Hello...... a new blogger here.

Hello and welcome to Geni's Kitchen.

This is my first entry here and Im not sure what I'm going to put here as yet, time will tell. Browsing though some of the blogs on here I am inspired by the fantastic recipes and creations that people are doing. Food is such a wonderful thing, a great source of comfort, a great starting place when socialising as well as being the first step towards a healthier lifestyle.

I'm not sure when my love of cooking first began, it could have been while watching my mother creating wonderful meals and treats for us all growing up. Coming from a family of nine kids I learnt at an early age to cook for a crowd, without getting stressed. This has helped me to experiment and to cook happily for small and large of people.

My love of cooking was fired up even more, when I held a job for fifteen years that threw me into the world of food, in particular barbecues. I was manager for Weber BBQ's for many years and in that time I learnt so much , not only about cooking with fire, but in food in general. The cross promotions I did with just about every food industry there is widened my knowledge and passion for cooking even further.

It could be that my best friend is one of the states top chefs, sharing ideas with him over the years has again broadened my love of all things food. His respect for me as a "cook", against being a chef gave me the confidence to try new things and to trust my own instincts on food.

Having a family taught me to be a budget & health conscious cook, and because of my child's illness we had to opt out of the processed food chain as much as possible. With family, budget & health restraints its really makes you have to be creative.

Maybe having a husband that is heavily involved in the Wine Industry is also another reason why I enjoy cooking so much. Food and wine are an important part of our lifestyle, though I can not drink wine due to allergies, I understand the complexities of wine and how different foods can affect how wine will taste.

But I guess mostly my love of cooking comes from my love of eating well. I love nothing more then opening my pantry or fridge and creating something from what I have. It gives me a feeling of achievement and makes me feel a little bit closer to my now departed Mum.

Most times I cook by instinct. I will check out recipes to get ideas or to learn a new method, but I like to mix and match ingredients and to try different things together. I have some wonderful cookbooks but one of my biggest inspirations these days is the web, if I have an idea for something I will usually check out some recipes from the web then take that information and make my own recipe from it, utilising products that are in season or what I have on hand. Living in Australia I am lucky enough to have access to a variety of fresh produce.

So thats about it regarding me. Some of my recipes are for every day meals, some are for more special occasions and some are just to see if it will work. I hope you enjoy whatever ends up on these pages.

regards Geni