A Girl's Gotta Eat!

I've always enjoyed food. As a baby, I enjoyed carrots so much that I turned orange - literally. (Scientific factoid for you: beta-carotene is fat-soluble, and if you eat enough, it builds up in your fat tissues.) There are pictures of me standing on the countertops getting into the cabinets to find ingredients. I made my first cheesecake at 10, having seen a picture of it in Bon Appetit. I cooked with my parents, with my grandmother, with friends. I enjoyed making things, especially things that people enjoyed.

As an adult I continue to enjoy it. There's something amazing about trying something new for the first time, or recreating at home a dish you enjoyed in a restaurant, or simply putting together a beautiful plate of food. My mother sends me pix messages asking what ingredients are. My brother and sister-in-law and I discuss different ways to cook vegetables. I send pictures of food to friends and family. My father suggested the title for the blog, as perhaps these pictures are worth not a thousand words, but a thousand bites.

It's not all easy, or simple. Much of my adventures in the kitchen are messy. I've still not mastered making custard-based ice cream (I stick to Philly-style, with no eggs). I manage to splatter the kitchen with whatever I have on the stove top more often than not. In part, this led us to have a backsplash installed this summer - easier cleanup! Despite the challenges and failures, it's a labor of love. At the end of a workday, I like coming home and going to the kitchen. It occupies my hands and my mind, which allows me to relax.

Life is an adventure, and spending time in the kitchen is one of the important ways to enjoy it for me, and to share it with others. We can all enjoy other people over a shared table. Here I'll share it with you, too. Welcome to my table...I hope you enjoy and find it worth the bites.