Michael's Cookbook Blog

Hello,

Many of you are probably wondering why I am requesting donations. I figured that I would explain myself here. I am asking for donations for 2 things.

1. I need assistance with paying for the domain and hosting of this site.
2. Any donations that might happen to be left over at the end of the month will be transferred to a separate account to go towards a restaurant or catering business.

You read that correctly. My restaurant or catering business, I plan on trying to get things off the ground by 2020. The pension for my day job as a Doorman will be vested by Nov. 2019 and I plan on trying to open my get my business going by no later than fall of 2020.

If I open a restaurant, I already know what I plan on calling it. The concept will be no menu to read from. I will have a set price per person. The set price will include all appetizers, your choice of entrée, and dessert. For those that are curious, I am dedicating the restaurant to my grandmother. It will be called "Pina’s Italian Bistro".

If I decide on catering, I plan on starting out only in Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island. I may expand further, later on, however, I feel those are the best areas to start out with.

Once again, welcome to my website. My name is Michael Martin (a.k.a, Chef Michael). I am an Italian/French-American born 1971, in Brooklyn, NY. I grew up watching the women of my family, mainly my Grandmother who was a wonderful chef. She worked in Mamma Leone's back in the day as well as other reputable establishments. This website and all of my ideas and recipes a dedication to my grandmother. She was a wonderful person as well as a fantastic chef. I miss her and my Grandfather every day. R.I.P

 I have been cooking for the better part of my life. I really enjoy challenging myself in the kitchen to come up with new and exciting recipes. I do not have any formal training in the Culinary Arts, but that does not by any means say that I am inexperienced in the kitchen. I have a deep passion for cooking and I cook mainly what I consider Italian dishes, all of which are my own recipes. I usually come up with new recipes at the spur of the moment. Sometimes, when I am unfamiliar with a dish, I will look at a recipe to get a general idea and adopt it to be my own, but for the most part I usually come up recipes right on the spot. I learned early on that moderation and patient's is the key to a good recipe as well as good balance of herbs and spices. All too often I hear the same question from people. "Where do I come up with my ideas?" The truth is I have no clue. All I really know is that most all of my recipes turn out to be delicious. I am not saying that I am perfect in the kitchen, not by any means. I have made my fair share of screw-ups.

One of my favorite things to cook is lamb. A lot of people don't like lamb due to it having a gamey flavor but I found the secret. When cooked properly and with the right combination of herbs and spices as well as to the correct temperature it is delicious. 

What information do we collect? 

We collect information from you when you register on our site or place an order. 

When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name and email. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.

What do we use your information for? 

Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways: 

1. To personalize your experience
(your information helps us to better respond to your individual needs)

2. To improve our website
(we continually strive to improve our website offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you)

3. To improve customer service
(your information helps us to more effectively respond to your customer service requests and support needs)

4. To process transactions

Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested.

5. To administer a contest, promotion, survey or other site feature


6. To send periodic emails

The email address you provide for registration or order processing, may be used to send you information and updates pertaining to your membership or order, in addition to receiving occasional company news, updates, related product or service information, etc.

1. Terms

By accessing this web site, you are agreeing to be bound by these web site Terms and Conditions of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this web site are protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.

2. Use License

1. Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of the materials (information or software) on Michael’s Cookbook web site for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not:
1. modify or copy the materials;
2. use the materials for any commercial purpose, or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial);
3. attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on Michael’s Cookbook web site;
4. remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials; or
5. transfer the materials to another person or "mirror" the materials on any other server.
2. This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by Michael’s Cookbook at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format.

3. Disclaimer

1. The materials on Michael’s Cookbook web site are provided "as is". Michael’s Cookbook makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties, including without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, Michael’s Cookbook does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its Internet web site or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site.

4. Limitations

In no event shall Michael’s Cookbook or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption,) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on Michael’s Cookbook Internet site, even if Michael’s Cookbook or a Michael’s Cookbook authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you.

5. Revisions and Errata

The materials appearing on Michael’s Cookbook web site could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. Michael’s Cookbook does not warrant that any of the materials on its web site are accurate, complete, or current. Michael’s Cookbook may make changes to the materials contained on its web site at any time without notice. Michael’s Cookbook does not, however, make any commitment to update the materials.

6. Links

Michael’s Cookbook has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its Internet web site and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Michael’s Cookbook of the site. Use of any such linked web site is at the user's own risk.

Welcome to Michael's Cookbook

This website is all about food. We have a Cookbook for users to not only find recipes but they can share their own as well. I will also be posting articles, everything from Herb and Spices to how-to's. I have forums for my users to interact with each other, share ideas and where I will be posting new ideas, how-to's, and other helpful information. I also have a blog where users can share their recipe ideas and ask for feed back.

I tried to design this website to be as user friendly as possible. If anyone has any issues please contact me directly or post your issue in the Support Forums.

Please note that one thing you will never find on my website is advertising. I prefer to keep the site clean, user friendly, and fast loading. Advertising is good, if you are trying to to make a profit or trying to defer operating costs. I however feel that it is not a necessity. I do ask that if you try my recipes and like them please consider making a donation to show your support and assist me in keeping the site going. Thanks again for visiting.  I hope that everyone makes the most of what I am offering.

Note: To all potential site members. I have extra security built into the site that allows for an extra layer of security for your protection. Please see this article for more details.

Chef Michael