The Cook

Back in high school, I had an idea for a restaurant where people would tell me what they wanted as the main ingredient, let me know what they couldn’t eat, and leave the rest to me. Having somewhere to start, with enough freedom to figure out what I could make of it, was a big part of the appeal. That was the beginning of Impulse Kitchen.

These days, most of what you’ll find here comes from being hungry and having ingredients I thought would work well together. A grocery run is also a pretty good excuse to invite a friend over. If we’ve planned dinner ahead of time, I enjoy talking through what they’re craving and figuring out a meal around that. It gives me something to play with, and someone to share it with when it’s done.

Once I’m cooking, I tend to forget about everything outside the kitchen. There’s plenty to keep me occupied with what’s in front of me, and I’m usually enjoying myself enough to lose track of how long I’ve been at it. By the time we sit down, I’ve spent all that time looking at the food and smelling it come together, but I may still be finding out how it tastes along with everyone else. Getting to share that first reaction is something I really love.