Michael's Cookbook Blog

 Now that my site is 99% complete. For anyone wondering why I say the site is 99% complete that is because I am always looking to improve things.  I am going to get busy cooking up new recipes and posting all of my current recipes along with the new ones. Please, keep in mind that all of my recipes go by my weights and measures chart...

 Please be aware that I base my measurements off of what I have in my kitchen. The items that you have may vary from mine but weights and measures should never change. Dry volume ALWAYS differs from a liquid volume. For example, if you are trying to use a measuring cup to measure out fresh basil, one cup of basil (8 ounces) is not th...

I just wanted to let everyone know I posted my latest  Chicken Soup recipe in the Cookbook. Please try it out and let me know what you think of it.

The issues with the cookbook are fixed. If anyone comes across any more issues please let me know as soon as possible so that I may address them.  

The site is complete, however I did run into an issue the frontend submission of new recipes.  I am currently working with the software developer to fix the issue. It should be resolved by  Monday, February 26. Please, if anyone finds anything else that is not working properly let me know as soon as possible so that I can address it....

The website is completed. I am working on posting new recipes now. If anyone finds anything that is not working properly please let me know as soon as possible so that I can fix it. 

Hello,

Many of you are probably wondering why I am requesting donations. I figured that I would explain myself here. I am asking for donations for 2 things.

1. I need assistance with paying for the domain and hosting of this site.
2. Any donations that might happen to be left over at the end of the month will be transferred to a separate account to go towards a restaurant or catering business.

You read that correctly. My restaurant or catering business, I plan on trying to get things off the ground by 2020. The pension for my day job as a Doorman will be vested by Nov. 2019 and I plan on trying to open my get my business going by no later than fall of 2020.

If I open a restaurant, I already know what I plan on calling it. The concept will be no menu to read from. I will have a set price per person. The set price will include all appetizers, your choice of entrée, and dessert. For those that are curious, I am dedicating the restaurant to my grandmother. It will be called "Pina’s Italian Bistro".

If I decide on catering, I plan on starting out only in Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island. I may expand further, later on, however, I feel those are the best areas to start out with.

Once again, welcome to my website. My name is Michael Martin (a.k.a, Chef Michael). I am an Italian/French-American born 1971, in Brooklyn, NY. I grew up watching the women of my family, mainly my Grandmother who was a wonderful chef. She worked in Mamma Leone's back in the day as well as other reputable establishments. This website and all of my ideas and recipes a dedication to my grandmother. She was a wonderful person as well as a fantastic chef. I miss her and my Grandfather every day. R.I.P

 I have been cooking for the better part of my life. I really enjoy challenging myself in the kitchen to come up with new and exciting recipes. I do not have any formal training in the Culinary Arts, but that does not by any means say that I am inexperienced in the kitchen. I have a deep passion for cooking and I cook mainly what I consider Italian dishes, all of which are my own recipes. I usually come up with new recipes at the spur of the moment. Sometimes, when I am unfamiliar with a dish, I will look at a recipe to get a general idea and adopt it to be my own, but for the most part I usually come up recipes right on the spot. I learned early on that moderation and patient's is the key to a good recipe as well as good balance of herbs and spices. All too often I hear the same question from people. "Where do I come up with my ideas?" The truth is I have no clue. All I really know is that most all of my recipes turn out to be delicious. I am not saying that I am perfect in the kitchen, not by any means. I have made my fair share of screw-ups.

One of my favorite things to cook is lamb. A lot of people don't like lamb due to it having a gamey flavor but I found the secret. When cooked properly and with the right combination of herbs and spices as well as to the correct temperature it is delicious. 

Welcome to Michael's Cookbook

This website is all about food. We have a Cookbook for users to not only find recipes but they can share their own as well. I will also be posting articles, everything from Herb and Spices to how-to's. I have forums for my users to interact with each other, share ideas and where I will be posting new ideas, how-to's, and other helpful information. I also have a blog where users can share their recipe ideas and ask for feed back.

I tried to design this website to be as user friendly as possible. If anyone has any issues please contact me directly or post your issue in the Support Forums.

Please note that one thing you will never find on my website is advertising. I prefer to keep the site clean, user friendly, and fast loading. Advertising is good, if you are trying to to make a profit or trying to defer operating costs. I however feel that it is not a necessity. I do ask that if you try my recipes and like them please consider making a donation to show your support and assist me in keeping the site going. Thanks again for visiting.  I hope that everyone makes the most of what I am offering.

Note: To all potential site members. I have extra security built into the site that allows for an extra layer of security for your protection. Please see this article for more details.

Chef Michael