This introduction was originally written for a competition run by Jernia several years ago, which explains why parts of it may seem a little unusual. It was intended as an introduction for people who did not know me at the time, but what I wrote then is still true and describes me well.
My name is Tore. When I wrote this, I was in my forties and living in Trondheim. I work in IT, so food and blogging are very much a hobby, but it is a hobby I care deeply about and happily spend a great deal of time on.
In Norwegian, Sinnakokken literally means “the angry chef”. The name is meant with a sense of humour. It does not mean that I spend my time shouting in the kitchen, but I can be direct and I have a fair amount of temperament, especially when I am responsible for a large event.
The nickname was given to me by good friends, and I grew quite fond of it. Eventually, I renamed the blog from its original name, Matjakt, to Sinnakokken.
I wanted to say a few words about what inspires me, what makes me want to cook, and why I always end up talking about food whenever I meet people.
I love food, of course, but it goes deeper than that. Cooking is enjoyable. Combining flavours and bringing three, four or ten courses together into something distinctive is great fun. But that is not really what it is about.
WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT?
I cook for weddings, anniversaries, parties and birthdays, for ten people or a hundred. That is not a problem. What I truly care about, however, is encouraging people to cook for the pleasure of others and themselves. Good food and good experiences can bring genuine joy, and that matters just as much on an ordinary weekday as it does on the big occasions.
There is something deeply satisfying about coming home and preparing a meal from scratch that you planned the day before — knowing that it tastes far better, is healthier and does not necessarily take any longer than a packet of instant soup.
THE BASICS ARE GOLD
So where should I begin? I cannot start by teaching clever techniques picked up from the books of chefs such as Ferran Adrià, René Redzepi or my personal hero, Heston Blumenthal. We have to start with the foundations: making stock, mashed potatoes, meatballs, burgers, lentil soup and so on.
I believe that a little basic knowledge and understanding makes it much easier to take the step towards cooking more food from scratch. That is why I write about foundations such as bases, mirepoix and soffritto.
WHAT DOES IT ALL BOIL DOWN TO?
I have always cooked, and I have looked for knowledge and inspiration from chefs, cookbooks and television programmes. It began with Ingrid Espelid and her Norwegian television kitchen, followed by many others. I have read a great deal by Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and other well-known cooks, and I have carried many lessons from those books with me.
In later years I have sought out more information from the chefs mentioned above, as well as from others who think differently about cooking. But what it all boils down to — pun intended — is the pleasure of cooking for other people and my strong desire to understand why food behaves the way it does.
That is when the interesting part begins: taking elements from what these chefs teach, combining them with what I have learned over the years, and finding ways to give simple, good dishes a small twist that lifts them to another level.
Mashed potatoes are one example: a simple dish taken further through a few new techniques, or by using old techniques in a different way. I am fascinated by the chemistry and physics of food — why some flavours work together while others do not, and why two ingredients that seem completely illogical together can sometimes make each other better.
I will write more about that, but not about everything. After all, we still need time to cook.
I have already heard from readers who have tried my recipes and enjoyed them, which is wonderful.
I look forward to sharing more of the pleasure of cooking here on the blog. Thank you for stopping by.
Tore