Do it yourself!

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The food options in the burbs are limited. There are mostly chain options which no self respecting New Yorker would venture in and a few independent restaurants that very rarely reach the bar set by New York Restaurants. I so vividly remember asking people for restaurant recommendations when we first moved here and I was met with an uncomfortable silence. Of course there are a dozen italian restaurants and couple of "Asian" restaurants that serve sushi, chinese and thai food all under one roof!

Honestly the best option, and anyone thinking of moving to the burbs needs to know this and truly embrace it, is to become a great cook. Seriously, you will be responsible for the majority of the meals you family eats and trust me when I tell you that the week will not be peppered with a couple of yummy restaurant meals to make your family forget your mediocre offerings. It's all up to you!

Of course at first I fought this because it just added to the 1950's stereotype I found myself living in but after a few months I realized that it was a necessity for me to take my cooking skills to the next level. I should mention that our family almost never eats any prepared meals sold in supermarkets so that wasn't an option for us. 

Here's what's worked for me:
- Called my dad (who's french and a talented cook) and begged him to send me some modern french cookbooks for inspiration
- Log on to Epicurious  & Martha Stewart often
- Started listening to my neighbors and friends when they talk about what they're cooking and ask them for the recipe

- Took a cooking class with a brazilian chef who gives classes in her home kitchen http://www.amazon.com/Brazilian-Kitchen-Classic-Creative-Recipes/dp/1906868204

If anyone has any inspiring cooking resources or recipes to share, please do!

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