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My husband loves to tell people about our first few months together. Defiantly, I would tell him the only thing I knew how to make were reservations. He ends the story with “Little did I know she could burn in the kitchen!”
Ba dump bump!
I’ve always liked to cook. It wasn’t until the last two years. however, that I could appreciate everything that food offers.
Food is the nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink in order to maintain life and growth.
But food ushers in so much more!
Food is my mom leaving pots on the stove so my sister and I could eat dinner after an evening band rehearsal.
Food is the smell of vegetables simmering on the stove, waiting for the next ingredients that will turn the meal into a savory soup.
Food is the cathartic chopping of onions and garlic, while I half listen to Netflix in the background.
Food is an icebreaker for my English Language students. They may not be able to remember the name of all the ingredients in English but this does not stop them from animatedly describing a dish from their Mother country.
Food is delicious. Duh!
Food is love. And this blog adventure my sister and I have started is our way of sharing our love of food with you all. Join us as we explore food in all it’s forms: examining growing our own food with the gardening series Soil to Plate; traveling the world in Taste of Esl which highlights recipes and tricks from my English Language students; taking cooking classes in the Philadelphia area and documenting the experience in I Tried It; and other features that will highlight the love of food that we share.
So pull up a chair and join us at the table where “Every bite has a story”.
From :
What does a blog conference, a knitting class, and kidney disease all have in common?
These three things inspired me to take charge of what I eat!
BlogHer Food was the beginning. When I was selected as a volunteer for the FOOD conference I initially thought that I was just going to wrangle mics, maybe help at registration and probably eat a few things while walking through the convention hall. Even some of the attendees asked me why a non-food blogger was attending this conference. Instead of feeling like a fish out of water, I listened while at the sessions I helped with, chatted up some of the fellow bloggers, and decided that like Remy from Ratatouille, I would channel Auguste Gusteau’s famous quote, “Anyone Can Cook.”
Then I got sick.
In May of 2017 I was diagnosed with the genetic kidney disease that my mom, aunt and uncle suffer from: Focal Glomerular Sclerosis. This disorder causes kidney disease and will eventually lead to kidney failure.
With this diagnosis I had to rethink what I was putting into my (and my family’s) body. Let’s be real…at first I thought I could sneak the salty foods and snacks that I love. A chip here, that meal in a restaurant there wasn’t going to hurt anyone…would it?
Psych!
Cheating caused my labs results to speed up my kidney disease and I was looking forward to a date with dialysis.
This is where my knitting class came in. I treated myself to a six week series to learn how to make socks at a local shop, . Each week as we worked through the process Cathy would gently remind us to read the instructions, practice the basics, and slow down. It dawned on me that learning the basics in my knitting practice, slowing down and carefully reviewing what I was learning could be applied to the kitchen!
Taking what I learned from my knitting class, the confidence I gained from the conference, and a desire to take control of my health exploring in the kitchen was no longer a chore but rather a time to experiment and explore, create and produce meals for my family and friends, and leave a place at the table so you can join us in this space where, as Raya has said and I agree, “Every bite has a story”.!