Not long ago, cooking bored me. I liked to eat good food, but never really cared what went into it. Today, I'm just a wee-bit obsessed with everything culinary and of course, hand-crafted cocktails, wines and beers to compliment each dish. Maybe it was the fact that my husband could cook and I couldn't. Maybe it was because I started thinking about what I fed my family after having my daughter. Maybe it was because I realized food and drink are the one, common thread that pulls people and cultures together. Whatever it was that turned me on to this passion, I'm here and I'm writing about it. So read along if you want to learn from my mistakes - because I'm trying to take culinary risks everyday, both in my kitchen and on our travels around the world.

punchfork.com - My sister-in-law just turned me on to this roundup of new recipes from popular sites.

winespectator.com - I love the how-to videos for wine novices. They also have great wine reviews.

rachelray.com - I never really appreciated her until my mom bought me her cook book. Find everything from big, fancy dinners to low-budget meals and healthy dinners.

epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary - Cooking terms can be hard to understand when you're first starting out. This is your go-to guide.