Hi-five! Welcome to my blog, and on my About page. My name is Paweł Białecki, I’m from Poland, and as an author/blogger/chef/photographer/technical/editor/SEO specialist I run this food blog – DishCook recipes. If you like to cook, you’ve come to the right place.
So, something more about me. I am not a professional cook by any means. I have neither completed any course, nor have I worked for someone in the kitchen, nor do I do knife tricks like those celebrities on YouTube. I started to learn how to cook in college to not starve. Sometimes you had to throw something other than another beer into your stomach, and the lack of elementary cooking skills was a bit of a hindrance. Luckily, by trial and error, I managed to learn a little bit and I did not poison myself with my own food, and over time I even started to like the taste of it. And not only me, but also my friends, who sniffed out free food from Paweł.
This is how my hobby – cooking – has born, for which although I don’t have much time, I try to use it as effectively as possible.
If you’re really interested in about the private life of some random dude from the Internet who makes recipes for people for dinner between work and family duties, here are some random facts about me:
1. I am 31 years old. The last corner.
2. DishCook is not my first blog/website. I have run several different websites before, but rather as a hobby. Here, I’m a little more professional – pictures, SEO (optimization for search engines), longer entries. We will see what will come out of it.
3. Privately I am a husband and a fresh father. The most difficult job in the world.
4. I live in the Poland-Czech-Germany tripoint in Bogatynia (PL), a city known in the country for the recent flood, drugs, and being near Zgorzelec, the biggest city (khem) around. Apart from a few years of studying in Wrocław, I have spent my whole life in this small town. And contrary to appearances – it is quite pleasant here.
5. I have been to college three times (twice IT, once management), I have no university degree. I am an IT technician on the paper.
6. In 2011 I started a legal business and I can still afford to pay my social security stuff and taxes. When this blog starts earning money and you’ll wonder if I’m not breaking the law – chill, I’m legal!
8. Professionally, I am a software developer – I develop applications for iOS (iPhone).
9. I am always on a reduction diet. My weight fluctuations reach 25 kg/55 lbs per year. Working at a desk does not help.
10. Despite my weight, I am not yet kicked out of the slope. As soon as the snow falls in the Czech Republic (and it always happens faster in the north of Liberec Region than in the south of Lower Silesia), I go snowboarding to Rokytnice (most often), Janské Lázně (rarely) or Harrachov (well, sometimes). Geographical location strongly helps me in my winter hobby – to the first alpine Austrian resorts, I have the same way as to the central Baltic (538 km to Schladming, 522 km to Mielno). Also, they have good food in Austria, I strongly recommend it.
11. When there are no clouds, the sky is clear, the Moon is new, there is no storm, and the temperature allows me to stand outdoors for a few hours, then I do astrophotography. Contrary to appearances you do not need a telescope (although I have the smallest one from the manufacturer’s offer), but only a tripod, DSLR camera with (tele)lens and a star tracker (equatorial mount). Unfortunately for now I have a hobby on hold because of living in a block of flats (although with access to the balcony). Having a house with a backyard would make hunting for nebulae much easier – maybe in future.
12. If I drink, it’s a beer (double imperial IPA) or a dark rum. But if there’s a MOON… that’s different.
13. I like the Greek bouzouki music, German disco polo, and Mongolian heavy metal.
14. I have a whole closet (literally) of books (mainly science-fiction), most of which I have never read. I’ll make up for it once.
15. For holiday, like the real Pole, only to Greece. Knowing a few words of their language you get stronger drinks at the bar. Of the places I visited in Hellada, I liked Athens the most.
16. I have never been outside Europe (but outside the EU yes – in Albania).
17. There’s no point number seven.
If I come up with something else, I will add it!