Strawberry pancakes, homemade buttermilk biscuits, apple crisps and strawberry jam - now that’s amore.

Those living near an outdoor window at Jacob Blankenship’s Salem home may catch the scent of love and history as it wafts through the warm summer air. The self-taught cook and baker spends much of his time preparing new dishes and instead of keeping them to himself, he photographs each creation and blogs about the experience at www.jacobskitchen.wordpress.com. The blog has caught the attention of not only friends and family, but also food blogs such as Foodbuzz, which tracks food blogs from around the world.

Jacob's journey toward a love of cuisine started early in his life. As a four-year-old, Blankenship fondly recalls assisting his grandmother as she floated through her kitchen creating delicacies that forever changed the way he viewed the experience of beauty of consumption.

“I used to pull up a black stool in my grandma’s kitchen and help her make everything from cupcakes to bread to ... flapjacks,” he said. “She was never a working artist, but she really was an artist at heart and everything she did was beautiful. She taught me that food should be beautiful, homemade and handcrafted and thoughtfully prepared.”

While growing up, Blankenship resisted normal children’s television programming, instead gleaning as much as he could from as many culinary and hospitality shows as he could watch.

“I’ve watched thousands of hours of cooking shows and have hundreds of cookbooks,” he said. "I’ve always really, really enjoyed the preparation of food.”

Although his parents weren’t social butterflies and rarely entertained guests, he said his fantasy growing up was to host extravagant parties and entertain people much like the culinary show hosts he admired.

Although his passion was food, Blankenship attended college in California and received his degree in women’s studies and sociology. While employed as a social worker for a short time, soon after graduating, he found himself caring for his aging grandparents.

During this time, Blankenship experimented with spices, yeasts, baking soda and more, enhancing the chemistry of baking. After several years as a full-time caregiver, he moved to Salem. With extra time and a desire to relax and enjoy life, friends and family, he again took to the kitchen, ready to create and take advantage of the mid-Willamette Valley’s abundant harvests.

Although the sight of pots, pans and a counter full of ingredients may be overwhelming for many, there is no secret to eating well from your own kitchen. Blankenship recommended starting with communal comfort foods and familiar flavors.

“Take what you already know and bump it up a little bit,” he said. Secondly, “Season things with reckless abandon. Measure less and taste more. It should be a little spicy, a little sweet and little tangy.” Third, he said finishing salt is your friend, especially after discovering the vast varieties that are available.

“Food doesn’t need to be reinvented all of the time,” he added. Also, if it doesn’t turn out to be the best ever made, make it look good. Food's beauty will often compensate for less-than-fabulous flavor.

When it comes to putting spice and sauce to blog, Blankenship said it's a labor he loves, even if it means snatching beautifully plated food from the hands of a dinner guest and carefully photographing it in soft window light. His daily musings are his way of contributing to the ever-changing food culture.

“I have opinions about food and I try to write about what I would do in certain situations,” he noted. “I’ll put in little anecdotes if I have them or how I would serve something to my guests.

“I’ve allowed my fantasy to come true,” he declared. “Entertaining at home is what used to be done and it’s just not anymore. People don’t have the nice china or tablecloths or napkin rings.

“Food is a way of showing love to the people you care about so you want to give them the very best thing you can produce.”