I’ve loved food all my life. It started with all the Vietnamese delights that came out of my Grandma’s and my Mom’s kitchen. I know I’m super spoiled because I will no longer eat fried rice, chow mein, or egg rolls if they do not come out of those two kitchens. There seems to be a lot less love and soul when those dishes are cooked by other kitchens. But back to the subject…I really love food, and I love to share my experiences with food.
My friends know me as the “foodie,” but this foodie will be the first to say that my tastes are eclectic. I’ve enjoyed many haute cuisine meals…Bouchon (I love it, but don’t get the lemon tart…the strong citrus will ruin your palate for hours), The Bazaar by Jose Andres (how can food and drink possibly get cooler…I could feel the freezing vapor as they made my caipirinha with liquid nitrogen in front of me!), and Daniel Boulud Brasserie (never in my wildest thoughts could I ever think that a pan-roasted chicken could ever be on my list of top five all-time favorite things to eat!). But let’s be honest now, normal and natural cravings are not for Michelin-starred food (except maybe in my wildest dreams). Normal and natural cravings are for things that are fried super crisp, burgers and ribs cooked on the grill or a smoker, mashed potatoes made with heavy cream and LOTS of butter, apple pie made by someone else’s grandma (because apple pie is not made by my Grandma)…those are the things everyone has cravings for. I’ll be the first to admit that I love Hot Dog on a Stick…darned fried pepperjack cheese on a stick is one of the most glorious things I’ve ever eaten…crispy, honey-sweetened coating and inside oozing melted cheese that’s got a bit of a kick to balance that lovely cooked batter. I think that’s my guilty pleasure…and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos eaten with cream cheese because who doesn’t want a crispy, crunchy airy piece of spicy goodness contrasted by a salty creamy dreamy bit of cheese? My food tastes are a bit crazy, but I think you need to be a bit crazy…it makes you willing to try strange flavor combinations and textures.
In addition to my love of food, I love to share good food. I share my love of food on many different levels. I’m that crazy picture taker inside a restaurant…you know, one of those crazy people who whip out the camera inside a wonderful establishment to photograph not a moment with my Grandma and her great-grandchild (who also happens to be one of my kids), but to capture the perfectly cooked lamb chop that’s just been delivered to me. I’m also the crazy person who runs home after dinner to edit and post pictures of my awesome meal to Picasa, Facebook, and Blogspot as soon as I can…and if I remember, I’ll take pictures with my BlackBerry as dinner progresses and load those bad boys on to Twitter as I’m having dinner. I want to show people what I ate…not because I want to brag, but because I want to share my experience. I want my family and friends to imagine what it tasted like. I want to share how glorious the dishes were. And I want to encourage them to become a patron of that establishment to keep it in business because good food should never go away. But my love of food doesn’t merely stop at a restaurant, taco/burger stand, or ramen shop...it continues into my kitchen, where I love to try new recipes or create new dishes to share with my friends and family…and no worries, the Facebook and Twitter world know about my creations…I let them know as soon as I finish. Let’s say that I’ve made many a friend and family member hungry because I’ve shared what I’ve made or eaten throughout the day.
In short, I suppose this is why I want to be the official food blogger for the L.A. County Fair. I LOVE LOVE food, and I want to share my love of food. I’m not afraid to try new things, and I’ll never speak despairingly of a dish until I’ve tried it. I’ve not ever found a cuisine that I don’t like…American, French, Italian, Persian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Ethiopian, Spanish, Thai, Brazilian, Polish, Swedish, German, Mexican, Indian, Nicaraguan, Jamaican….you name it, I’ve probably tried it and loved it. When I eat something fabulous, I do want the world to know about it because I want to encourage them to try it, too. If I were lucky enough to be chosen to be the official food blogger for the L.A. County Fair, then that’s what exactly I plan on doing. I endeavor to try to eat everything that’s offered, and share my experiences through thoughtful commentary and fabulous pictures. Just because the Fair is known for greasy fried food and down-home barbeque, it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth eating because it’s ordinary…those dishes are far from ordinary because it requires someone’s thoughtful thinking to come up with a fried Snickers bar or a super flavorful barbeque sauce that pairs well with a Mesquite or Hickory smoked pulled pork. The food at the Fair is made by people who are creative and love food just as much as I do, and I do want to share my experiences with those foods with everyone. I want to encourage people to go out and try those foods, too. It would be amazing if I were to encourage them to try something new…and to find that they loved it as much as I do. So please, if I could…please make me the official food blogger for the L.A. County Fair. It would be an awesome opportunity to share my love of food with the world.
P.S. And by the way, Grandma and kids, don’t worry I’ll take pictures of those special moments between you…after I take pictures of those awesome lamb chops!
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