Project Food Blog Challenge #1 - Who am I as a foodie?

Project Food Blog Challenge #1 - Who am I as a foodie?

I’ve always been about food and drink. There are pictures of me (somewhere, finding them hasn’t been successful yet) banging on pots and pans in the kitchen while my mom cooked up dinner for my family. My mother tells me that as soon as I understood what the kitchen was for that I wanted to be in there creating and preparing food.

( Enjoying a homemade wine sangria before a Kid Rock concert. )

When a group of families from my hometown went camping I was always the first one up getting the cooking fire going, and roaming from site to site to find out what breakfast delights I could help with and ultimately enjoy. I had a high school home economics teacher who brought my mother to tears of joy when explaining what a pleasure it was to have me in class, and a man no less!! For a time I thought of culinary school as a potential direction after high school, but an affinity for math and science got the better of me and I went on to a career in information technology. I get excited about cookie swaps and preparing holiday meals for the whole family.

( Pan roasted potatoes. This simple recipe was pushed to its peak

potential through use of fresh herbs from my own garden. )

When I go on vacation I learn about where I am visiting through the local food and seek examples both mundane and unique. Not being into sports, I am more worried about having homemade snacks and good beer to enjoy when friends invite me over to watch games I could care less about. For the last six years I have made beer, wine and hard cider at home, and have twenty-six amateur competition medals proudly on display in my dining room. I love farmstands, quirky food stores, food television and I think about food and beverages 24 x 7. But what does all of this mean in defining me as a food blogger?

I am the single pot stew of food bloggers. Like a good single pot stew my food adventures and my blog are a balance of essential ingredients, with a mix of just the right seasonings, cooked for the just right amount of time, and paired with a beverage the makes the dish sing. Each day my food blogging stew gets more interesting with new ingredients, seasonings and pairings.

( Starting with fresh ingredients is always the beginning of a wonderful journey. )

Why do I think I have what it takes to be the next food blog star? Attitude.

Being the best at anything is never because of only one thing. It isn’t something you achieve and then get to keep, and always starts within. In 2003 I was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately this experience changed my life. Before my diagnosis I was too focused on work and didn’t appreciate the opportunity I had in my life. Since then I have learned to ask the right question. Instead of “why?”, I ask “why not?” I am not afraid to try new things, take risks and live the only life I have to its fullest potential.

( Bubbling butter. So much goodness begins here! )

Do I think I create the best recipes, have the best techniques or take the best pictures? No. Is my writing as good as it is ever going to be? No. Do I already know all of the right people? No. What I do know is that each blog entry I write is an expression of who I am, embodies my experiences and that I enjoy every minute of it. Does this competition scare me? Of course it does. I have so much more to learn in this world and something I wrote yesterday will always have room from improvement based on my experiences today. My fellow challengers have their own unique stories and are out there as much as I am. I have to expect that when I read their posts I will wish I had walked in their shoes for just long enough to learn what they did.

( A grilled rosemary Sazerac. Creating new spins on my

favorite style of cocktail is a never-ending source of enjoyment )

None of this will stop me from trying to fully express myself in these challenges hoping that what I do brings a smile to the judges and my peers, and that I earn a chance. I have what it takes to be the next food blog star because I believe I do and I will do as much as I can to win. I will be happy with the outcome for me, whatever it might be, while cheering on my competition to rise to their own best potential.

The Foodbuzz badge shown below is my Project Food Buzz competitor link and will hopefully be visible in my profile for the next few weeks, meaning I will be actively competing in the challenges being offered. Regardless of how far I go I am already cheering on my fellow competitors as they enter the PFB stadium. Please join me in doing the same.



Cheers!

--Jason