The Beginning

Welcome to my new project... (da da da da) Mancipes!

I have had this idea floating out there for awhile and have decided to try and flesh out exactly how to approach this by offering a blog format and seeing where it goes from there. I first was struck by the idea of creating some kind of "recipe medium" based on the way many men cook about 10 years ago.

Way back at the turn of the millenium I was working in a little shop in Holland, NY (outside Buffalo)as a laborer. There were only a few of us that worked there and it was (almost always) a great atmosphere. One of my favorite things about it was the fact that the three of us that primarily worked there were all amateur cooks. We all had pretty varied tastes and often traded recipes for everything from Broccoli & Artichoke Pasta to best practices for grilling to Dilly Beans, Freezer Pickles, and Pickled Venison to great soups like Pepper Cheese and Borscht. The way we traded recipes though were very similar because none of us wrote out exact amounts- it was more of a "find your own taste" kind of approach. Hence the "Mancipe" bit.

So, I'll be posting some of my favorite recipes and tips that I have found helpful in my cooking experiences here as well as those of my friends, old and new. So, get your sporks ready and fire up the grill, smoker, oven, or whatever else you dare to cook with and let's eat!