I'm Still Alive. . .And Eating

Dinner these days has been more about getting it on the table than placing it center stage for cyber-foodie-passers-by. But, I want you all to know (since you've been loosing sleep wondering) that I am still alive, and even managing to make some bangin' dishes on the regular despite my lack of evidence. This post is to reassure you that I have not gone soft. No, still going strong. Recent dishes: local braised beef tips with roots over creamy organic grits, chicken Parmesan with fresh mozzarella in homemade marinara (frozen garden tomatoes are almost history), glazed root vegetables of all sorts (I am addicted to glazing, thanks to this month's issue of SAVEUR), roasted butternut squash soup swirled with locally made raw milk yogurt, local chicken n' herbed dumplings, wild Alaskan salmon in every shape and form (stay tuned for homemade gravlax), soups, soups and more soups. Oh yes, and buttermilk fantail yeast rolls (pictured) to keep us grounded.

I started this blog to display my obsession with foods in their God-given form. Its been two years of steady blogging, and I am still obsessed. Cooking at home continually reinforces how many pleasures are to be had from sometimes little more than roasted beets smothered in butter and sprinkled with flaky sea salt. Although life has gotten a bit busier around mealtime with our little one now almost six months old, food remains a priority here. Not only does it nourish our bodies, it deeply satisfies beyond physical necessity. Nothing quite settles the entire self like a bowl of chicken and buttermilk dumplings buoyed in rich homemade broth.

This post is for all of you who get goose bumps like I do when asparagus pokes through in early spring, when onions and garlic hit a buttery skillet, and when your favorite market vendor says: "I killed that yesterday."- Wrap it up, I'll take it!

Thanks for sharing in the obsession, and for another awesome year!

One Year of Blogging

This month commemorates one full year of food blogging for this girl in an apron. To be honest, the fact that I ever even took the plunge is still a surprise. I always found the word itself to be off putting. Blog: it sounds like a congestive aliment or some sort of British slang to describe a less than fortunate individual or situation. "I think I'm coming down with a blog," or "that unlucky blog has no street sense." Even though I still sort-of dislike the term, it is what it is, and blogging has proved a highly creative outlet for me and many many others.

I am constantly impressed by the talent put forth by fellow blogger's sites. It makes me recognize all the skill and passion behind what may have once seemed an ordinary public. I once thought that blogging was nothing more than a narcissistic way of publishing one's personal life's diary, (not that this doesn't exist), but what I have come to appreciate is the diversity blogging represents. The personal diary sites still serve their purpose, still have vast readerships,

and I suppose many cannot possibly figure out how someone like myself would limit a entire blog's subject matter to food. Is there possibly enough material out there to talk about food and recipes for years on end? Well, yes. Decades.

So while some are processing their feelings and therapy sessions, discussing the world of edibles is my own version of the same thing perhaps. Food happens to be serious therapy for some. Chopping, slicing, sauteing, the smell of onions and garlic hitting a hot buttery pan, harvesting, braising, plating, serving, eating, watching loved ones eating; this is the stuff dreams are made of. This is what keeps some of us well rounded, sane individuals.

Eating happens to be a political, environmental, social, and communal act as well. I have not been able to ignore these topics here on this blog, and I realize it is at times a little risque. But I thank you for sticking with me. I am honored to have this outlet, to have such passionate readers and fellow cooks showing their interest and support.

One thing I can say for sure, the world of edibles and its impact on human life will keep

my full interest until the day I leave this planet!

Click here to view my very first post: What Remains. . .

The fish carcass in this picture prompted me to begin blogging. After dinner, I snapped a picture and decided to check out the blogging scene. I created a page, posted the pic with a corresponding recipe, and it officially all began.

My understanding of what is appealing when photographing food has changed tremendously since those earlier posts. I have learned a lot, been humbled often, and am still having plenty of fun with it all.

Thank you so sincerely for reading!