There are many ways Harry, my main character, is an idealized version of me. I often joke he’s me if I were younger, thinner, smarter, stronger, a better shot, and had hair. Other than that, we’re identical. We have the exact same sense of humor and smart mouth that is not well filtered. We both love words and literature and the arts in general. We both love sports and are longsuffering fans of the Reds, Bengals, and Mountaineers. Each of us is married to a stunner of a woman who is miles out his league. The only big difference between his Dee and my Sarah (unless you count the rather distressing fact that Sarah doesn’t like coffee) is the color of their hair. Dee is a redhead while Sarah’s a brunette. Just like Dee is for Harry, Sarah is my angel and my prize and the reason for my smile.

Another way we’re definitely alike is we both love to cook for our loves. And, in all humility, we’re both pretty darn good at it. On the morning of the first night Harry and Dee spent together, he cooked her an omelet the likes of which she’d never experienced. Before I go on, for those who know me, no, they weren’t married, and no, they didn’t “spend the night” in that sense. He had gone through a deeply traumatizing experience and she spent the night helping him talk through it before they finally fell asleep together. Shortly after that, he made her banana pancakes. He’s also known for his chili and chicken nachos and roasted vegetables and shepherd’s pie–I could go on. Come to think of it, the dishes Harry makes best just happen to be the ones I’m really good at. This is the joy of being the author.

Cooking is more to Harry, and me, than just providing sustenance. It’s principally an expression of love. To take the time, energy, and thought to put together a meal for someone you love is an important way of saying, “This is me. This is me presenting my heart and soul to you. This is me giving you warmth and affection.” Another thing cooking does is create the opportunity for communion. To sit and eat means to sit and talk, to share thoughts and emotions. As you read my books, you’ll notice how often important conversations take place over a meal.

Since cooking and food are so important to us both, I thought it would be neat to add a series to my rotation of posts in which I talk about the dishes Harry and I both enjoy making and share the process we take in preparing them, complete with pictures and maybe even a little video.

First up, coming next week, is pancakes. I’ll talk about ingredients, variaties I like (and don’t like), toppings, tools, and techniques. Hope you come hungry! If not, I hope you will be by the time you’re finished.