The
Bistro on Sixth is not an address as it is a state of mind. It is in reality a
combination my kitchen, dining room, and a town in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan.
After a
life changing relocation, I set up house in the lower level of a rented home,
much smaller than the one I left behind. Pouring my energies into my return to
college, cycling and cooking became my pastimes in this town. The Bistro was born; a name given by my 2
children to describe their mother’s kitchen. Meals are a daily adventure for
them, wondering what they might be served next.
Influenced by my Polish, Hungarian,
and Bulgarian families and a collection of cookbooks, I set out to flex my
creativity and culinary tastes. My love
of history prods me to work with historic recipes too.
Because
I no longer have a garden, my goals included utilizing the great area farmers
markets and anything I could grow in containers. I often change my family heirloom recipes
into more healthy versions. I shop
between a natural food store 30 miles west and a local grocery store that carries
some organic items.
Except
for Italian, it is often impossible to find ethic ingredients in this area. One
of my other goals is to utilize what is available at our local grocery stores,
proving you can eat healthy and really great food made from scratch. I have always held that, “if you can read,
you can cook!” Of course that depends a lot on good comprehension skills.
