Foodie Friends, Finds & Frivolity

I can sit for hours simply talking about food, culinary school, past food experiences, restaurants, you name it. I owe so much to my very dear foodie friend Barbara – who is always encouraging, interested and excited to hear about my latest food stories and happily she can also dish out her own tales like a line cook at a busy brasserie!

Food is meant to be shared, enjoyed and I feel the same goes for the discussion of food. I am always surprised and happy to hear about a new spice, food or technique – many times I feel like I’ve heard just about everything and then it happens, Barbara will talk about papatzul and I’ll say, “What!?” Something I never heard of! – and she will go on about how she learned about it and weave a story that makes me hang on every word – I’m also mentally taking notes. Now, I know I don’t know everything by any means and I don’t ever want to sound like a know-it-all or a jaded foodie – that’s just not me. My surprise and shock comes from a child-like fascination as if food were magic and I just saw the most amazing trick ever!

Our foodie friends, dine with us even when we are not at the table. Chatting about food and experiences in the kitchen fills me up just like a savory braised stew. I appreciate Barbara’s experience and love to trade stories. When we sit down to chat it is the first topic we cover especially on a Monday morning, she'll inquire, “what did you cook this weekend?” and from there on we recount the moments of inspiration, rare shopping finds and the trials of new recipes.

Sharing food is a wonderful experience, bringing family and friends to the table is something I encourage everyone to do. This blog was a way for me to share my love for food in whatever form it takes, to bring people into the FCI classroom and recount what it is really like, but most importantly to take a walk with me on my culinary journey. I’m grateful for all my foodie friends and I aspire to continue sharing these sumptuous moments one bite at a time.