Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

Pasta, Pappardelle, and the Perils of Overconfidence

One of the earliest dishes I learned to prepare was spaghetti. My efforts involved opening up a can of Chef Boyardee, and heating it up in a sauce pot. Soon I gravitated to boiling supermarket bought packaged dried pasta, warming up a can or jar of spaghetti sauce, placing it on top of the drained […]

The importance of earning a certification, degree, diploma, and education from a respected accredited school or organization

Numerous organizations offer skills certification, practical training, or undergraduate or graduate level degrees. Undoubtedly some of these entities are better than others. But how does one determine which school, instructor, or trainer best suits their needs to receive appropriate instruction or a respectable education from without having to fork over lots of resources (i.e., money, […]

Wrestling with Chanko Nabe

Since starting to cook Japanese food, I’ve increased not only my knowledge of this type of cuisine, and my skills in its preparation, but along with trying new recipes, I’m continuously delimiting the dishes I prefer to cook and the ones l like to eat. Although my rank-ordering has changed over time, one of the […]

The calming effect of reading poetry before sleep

In 2016 Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President, and the Republican Party gained control of the Senate. For more than four years a large chunk of the public continuously wondered what egregious and embarrassing thing Trump and his supporters would say or do next. This insecurity was highlighted when the capital was attacked […]