Sometimes I worry about my fascination with food. I love to cook and I experience great pleasure when people savor my meals.

Trying new restaurants and being excited by delicious, innovative food, both straight forward and magical ambiance and expert, friendly service can be as rewarding as seeing marvelous theater, perusing a fascinating art exhibit or rockin’ out at a major concert. Is it insane to equate food and dining out with art and culture?

Answer: I think not…a great restaurant experience can be analogous to a fascinating evening of entertainment. In Los Angeles, which does not offer a plethora of opportunities to view great art and theater, dining out is as good as it gets. In NYC, there is so much food and entertainment competition, a restaurant has to deliver and the audience is the fortunate recipient.

I guess I have established a reputation for being a restaurant maven…I feel so used because I am always the go to person for recommendations in the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii and abroad…just kidding. Keep the requests coming. Seriously, I love turning people onto great dining experiences. My blog affords me the opportunity to be on trend.

Surprisingly, I derive a great deal of pleasure from food shopping. I enjoy winging it and putting meals together on the fly. Some days, I do 3 drive by’s, stopping at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Ralph’s in Los Angeles and adding Fairway to the equation when in New York City. The grocery stores are like boyfriends, they all have something uniquely their own that they bring to the table.

Perhaps, I just live to shop. I take after my grandmother who turned shopping into a skilled occupation. She was in the pocket when indulging her retail therapy fixation, evidenced in her propensity to hum her way through stores. I almost fell over when my daughter hummed during her inaugural shopping experience.

Well, dear followers, if food and restaurants turn you on, you will definitely benefit from my obsessions. Tune in daily for recipes and every Tuesday for restaurant reviews…indulge and enjoy!

Kasha Varniskas (buckwheat groats)

• 1 cup Kasha
• 1 egg
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 medium sweet onion
• Kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tbs. butter or vegetable oil
• 1 box bow tie pasta

Saute onion in PAM, EVOO or butter. Set aside. In a deep sauce pan, place Kasha and break in egg and mix until egg is absorbed and Kasha mixture is dry. Add boiling water and stir 5-8 minutes until water is absorbed. Add salt, pepper, and onion.

Boil salted water and make half a package of bow tie pasta. Drain and add to Kasha mixture. Add 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil. Mix. Place in Pyrex dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy, delish, nutritious, flavorful. Kasha is also a filling for a knish. Freezes well.