Me
31As we were growing up, seldom did a day pass that we didn’t eat as a family together. When I was nine years old and my parents divorced, both my Mom and Dad kept the family dinner alive, fumbling at first, but slowly finding the way.
To this day, shared meals are something that I both adore and consider very important. The act of getting together with those that you love, those that you’re getting to know, those that perhaps you don’t love quite yet, but might some day, is a ritual I hold dear.
I have always enjoyed cooking, but have admittedly not always been particularly good at it. Ply me with enough wine and I might tell you the tale of the night I served undercooked chicken bobbing in water with little bits of corn floating to the top. Another glass and I might admit to how I got the scar on my upper left arm where somehow in an attempt to remove a pan of croutons from the oven I ended up flinging it in the air and catching the 45o degree dish with my biceps.
Yes, I have not always been a graceful or delicate cook, but a few years ago I decided that god dammit, I was going to learn how to be a great cook. Life sometimes falls apart at our feet, things don’t always go as we plan, we often aren’t sure what we want or how to get there, but no matter how crazy, how maddening, how overwhelming life is, one can always just…
Shut up and Cook.
I love to hear from readers…please send me a note if you like!
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How did I overlook this talent! My kind of cooking. I have to share this with you: long ago in the early days of my managing Bon Appetit Fine Cookware in Phila. when Julia Child was just getting famous, I decided to cook through both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was in heaven until I got to the chapter on organ meats and flunked kidney cooking. That put a real damper on my enthusiasm for my task. Eventually, I learned to love what I love and cook and bake what I love and forgo the really weird and exasperatingly tedious recipes (other than the cherished 13 page French bread recipe). Bon appetit, Cat
Okay Catherine…we absolutely must sit down sometime over a bottle of wine so you can tell me more about your Mastering the Art of French Cooking adventure! How very Julie and Julia of you!
PLEASE, may I be invited to that event?! What a tete a tete THAT would be. 🙂
Thanks for all the fantastic recipes, stories, advice…
~ Lisa
Lisa…thank you for leaving a note! Knowing that folks out there are enjoying these is indeed what makes it all worthwhile. So glad to have you!
Love the stories!
Thanks Kelly…love having you. Come back soon!
Great blog, Erina!
Hat’s off to you for making a commitment to the art of sensual eating and sharing friendship, love and family. If we don’t stop this treadmill long enough to enjoy a nightly meal or afternoon picnic, no one will do it for us.
Hooray and much love always, abbie
Thanks Abbie…perhaps sometime I’ll be able to get you to give me some photo tips!
Really love the stories! Nico’s foster mommy. Sniff, sniff.
Duke (fka Nico) will continue to make frequent appearances, not to worry!
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I found your blog while browsing the comments of another blog. I must say, I LOVE your writing style! Your are such a wonderful storyteller and I’m glad to be a newfound reader. Keep up the fantastic work!
Hi Sam,
Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words. I always love to have new readers!
What are some of your other favorite food blogs? It’s fun to find new ones!
I love your blog title! So glad I stumbled onto your site. (Now I’m a new follower.)
Wow…thank you Allison! Thrilled to have you. Any particular recipes you’d like to see covered here?
Nope! I will happily read about any kind of food at all, if the post includes a mouth-watering photo and an approachable recipe. : )
Hi Erina! Just nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award. 🙂 Here’s the link: http://karistaskitchen.com/2012/08/10/strawberries-romanoff-and-two-very-belated-thank-yous/
Hi! Just found your site- great stories and recipes! You seem like a very nice person!
Thanks so much Jamie. Love having new readers!
And you RIDE too?? Ok, I am definately following your lovely blog. Adore.
xo
Nicole
Hourglass&Bloom
Why thank you!! I’m so glad to have you, and to have discovered your blog by proxy. Win-win!
I love your blog! I’m a new follower now… can’t wait to see what’s next! 🙂 🙂
Thank you Rachael! I love hearing that…it truly means a lot. Lots of fun recipes coming up…stay tuned!
Hi, just wanted to say thanks for commenting on my site! I love your about me page, sounds like you have a lot of great stories..especially after some wine 😉
Always!! Especially after some wine is right though. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
i love your blog..
simply taste your passion through out your photograph….
thx for such inspiration…
Thank you! Getting notes like yours is what really makes it fun. So glad you’re enjoying it.
Just stumbled onto your website, and wanted to say what a lovely and refreshing way to do the recipes. Will be trying some recipes this weekend. Will let you know how it goes. Well done and look forward to more recipes.
Thank you so much! Thrilled that you found it and even more thrilled you left a note to say hi. If you ever have any culinary questions or recipe requests, don’t hesitate to let me know. Welcome!
I just discovered your blog. It’s very good. It takes me a log time to find blogs I enjoy. I’m a huge fan of John Contratti’s “Cooking With Mr. C.” on WordPress. I have just added your blog to my “favorites”. Keep up the good work.
Elaine
Thank you Elaine! So glad to have you! Any recipes in particular you’re looking for?