You don’t have to have connections or the right education to land that dream job or that juicy assignment. Hard work, good output, dedication, conviction … those things are the only requirements for success. And yet, I read stories like the one about a woman named Lidey Heuck in Food Network magazine and in Food & Wine magazine. … Continue reading On privilege
I was talking with a friend a while ago about our biggest respective blind spots. By blind spots we meant the things that held us back, the things that others saw in us that we perhaps did not see in ourselves. For her, I told her I thought she was afraid to be uncomfortable or … Continue reading Blind spots and hillbillies
I am not a fan of diets, and I am especially not a fan of talking about diets. By diets I mean the lose weight/get fit variety, not the food choices or restrictions some people have due to allergies, preferences, or social constructs. I really hate talking about weight. And yet. I have been making some … Continue reading Talking about dieting
I cook a bit, and lately I've been giving food as gifts. I made two birthday cakes as gifts in January (fluffy lemon rosemary with citrus cream frosting for Lydia, chocolate cardamom with amaretto and candied ginger buttercream for Brandy). Technically, I made three cakes, but one burned slightly and tasted too much like a dense … Continue reading On bread and birthday cakes
I stopped working at the corporate job in August. All of what follows is true, and I might have hated the writer of this post if I had read it a few years ago. I have become one of those women whose lives I envied. See my last post for reference. Or this post for … Continue reading Do what you want
I received three cookbooks for Christmas, and I am in love with two of them. The third, the one I actually requested, is okay but unlikely to become a favorite. The lesser of these three is the most hyped, Anthony Bourdain's Appetites: A Cookbook, and while I enjoyed his strong opinions and riffs on classics, it … Continue reading On cookbooks
Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, has come and gone. With it, too many beige foods (just kidding, beige foods are delicious). No more cranberry relish or making of cornbread dressing until next year. I love Thanksgiving because of the expectations -- food, mostly comfort food, served well. No presents, no staying up late, no fancy dress required. … Continue reading Thanksgiving, and what follows
I like spring rolls, but they really do look a little too phallic. I don't suppose that's helped much by the condom-like spring roll wrapper. Nonetheless, they are tasty and a whole lot of work, at least for one person who happens to be a novice wrapper. With all the shredding, chopping, blanching, assembling, and cleaning, this took … Continue reading Sprimp spring rolls
In April, I planted a tiny lemongrass specimen next to a smallish blueberry bush that I was trying to grow in a large concrete planter. The blueberry bush died, but the lemongrass thrived and has taken over the planter. Earlier this month, when I decided to make tom ka kai, a Thai chicken coconut soup, … Continue reading Lemongrass and Auntie Bang’s Coconut Soup (a.k.a. tom ka kai)
Sometimes, I will just write about food because a) food is good and I like to prepare it and eat it, and b) describing food and recipes is good practice for writing clear, sequenced descriptions. In the community supported agriculture (CSA) box I get each week, I often find foods that I don't normally buy. … Continue reading Pattypan squash and garlic confessions
Gwen Mullins 