Stirring and Whirring

Happy Anniversary NYC!

2009-09-22T00:03:00.001-05:00

Ever read through old journal entries and think, "Wow, I was such a lame seventh grader!" I did. And history repeats itself as I look over the entries that made their way through the first couple weeks of my New York City residency. What a loser! Having a tough time with the move to NYC, what a joke! It's like looking over the time I cried into my journal because I got picked on during a field trip. Instead of FML, how about a little SIU - Suck it up!

The move did grate on me. A lot. It took much, much longer than anticipated for me to feel comfortable in this city. But now I do, and it was worth it. It was worth it for the Crumbs cupcakes, for the dinner at WD-50, for the wine and cheese bar on 52nd and 9th and for even the occasional P.J. Clarke's sliders. I look back and I see that I wanted to find a favorite coffee place (El Beit, N. 9th and Bedford), farmer's market (Union Square) and brunch (Bouchon Bakery). Now I have; now I'm here.

I'm in a new apartment, picked mostly for it's spacious kitchen and not so much for the five flights of stairs I have to climb to get to said kitchen. The first Duane Read just opened in Williamsburg giving me a place to (gasp!) buy Lean Cuisines for lunch at work. By no means do I qualify as a local, but at least I don't feel out of place.

And when the hipsters still shun me because I don't own a fedora, at least I know where I can get a damn good cocktail (Hotel Delmano). Kisses NYC, looks like you're stuck with me, for now.

Sappy Apology to My Many, Many Fans

2009-02-20T13:11:00.002-06:00

To Laura and my mother,

Please forgive me for not updating sooner. If you notice the date of the last post, you will see that it not-so-coincidentally coincides with the week I started working full time again. Now that I have a real apartment (more on that later!) I shall do my best to redeem myself.

For instance, right now I am eating a delicious soup/pasta (I didn't buy enough broth) and later tonight I plan on roasting a chicken with a citrus stuffing and sage. Sage! There, that should tide you over until I sit down to write again.

Kisses,

Clare

Why do tomato-based sauces comfort me so much?

2008-10-20T21:30:00.002-05:00

I always forget how tired working full-time makes me. Let’s take today as a ‘for instance.’ After a day/night of utterly emotion draining activities (the Browns lost) I woke up this morning and scrambled to get ready. I should note that I list myself among the world’s top 50 worst morning people. Getting out of bed every morning challenges me more than most people’s relationship with their parents. My parents are great. My mornings are vicious. So after the heroic effort I put into just crawling out of my queen sized cube of love, I was seriously annoyed to find that I had sliced my pinky toe wide open. Honestly, who does that?

In the small pool of blood gathering at my right foot I could see my fatigued face. No, I couldn’t, but that was probably the only good thing that had happened so far because I don’t look that great when I’m fatigued. After mopping up most of the runoff, I threw a Band Aid on and shoved my foot in one of my tighter shoes, hoping the principle of how bandages work would apply to stilettos. I apologized to my roommate for ruining her cashmere sweater that had been lying at the foot of the bed and had become my impromptu mop (I’m not that big of a bitch, it was hidden underneath my shoes and already had gotten a torrent of blood on it before I realized what happened).

Once in the office, as usual, time went pretty quickly. I know this is the second piece in a row with the tone of “whine” but I will take a break to acknowledge that I am really lucky to have a job I love. Still, the learning curve of a new job takes a toll and by 7:30 or 8 my head hurt so badly I had to finally call it a day. Or maybe it was the effort of staying warm since no one can figure out how to work the heater in the building. It’s not a very traditional workspace.

Also – I saw Andy Roddick’s fiancée, Brooklyn Decker (ironic!), in the office today. I was, frankly, a little disappointed when I realized who she was. The only reason I put it together at all was because the designer that’s using her in a campaign was complaining about Brooklyn having bad skin and rationalized the extra photoshopping work with the fact that she’s kind of famous. Still, self-esteem dictates that I still had to self-loathe for about a half-hour after finding out a really hot girl came into the office, even though said hotness might be more digital than I previously realized. Self-loathing/fighting the urge to self-loath is tiring too!

What the hell does this have to do with tomato sauce? Well after finally arriving at my apt around 8:45 pm, all I wanted was chili. Or spaghetti. Or spaghetti with faux-meatballs. Or lasagna. I did end up going with the chili inclination, but any of the options above would have worked. I don’t know why, and this isn’t the first night this has occurred. I’ve been boiling so many noodles Dr. Atkins is rolling in his grave. Spices, shredded cheese, and sour cream call to me more than I ever knew they could – as long as they are surrounded by piles of the sweet acidity of crushed tomatoes.

As I’ve never seen a Dr. Phil on this topic, I’m at a bit of a lost for an explanation. So I’ll just eat my left-over chili all week and tie-off when it’s time for another hit of those red spheres of goodness. Any tomato recipes, please pass them my way. And if you’re standing in front of my spaghetti, get out of my way.

Settled in to Brooklyn - Finally.

2008-09-30T14:10:00.005-05:00

If you couldn't tell from my first couple of entries, my transition to life in New York City has been rough. Coming from Chicago, I expected to have an easier time - one big city to another. Comparing the city of Chicago to the city of New York is like comparing crab apples to macintoshes, as far as big apples are concerned. Immediately I became so overwhelmed that I attached myself to my boyfriend. The only place in the city I had any familiarity with was his apartment, so I found it hard to leave even to venture back onto the unknown couches of my own loft.

But slowly everything changes. Actually, in New York, I suppose everything changes quickly. Either way, that change came by way of my boyfriend's tough love. He has this horribly annoying way of telling me things I hate hearing, but that I desperately need to understand. While sobbing to him that he hadn't been considerate enough of me and my huge life change, he told me that maybe this was a tad over-reactive since I had only been in town a week. As usual, he was right (we like to switch up the gender roles by having him be right all the time instead of me. Guys - I feel for you).

Taking responsibility for myself and my state of mind was exactly what I didn't want to do. I wanted to lie on the couch and close my eyes and hope that life would figure itself out for me. So I had to take baby steps. The following week I picked myself up and started to explore stores around my apartment. Retail therapy is not a misnomer. At my mother's urging I took yoga and pilates classes. I went out with my roommates one night. I applied to a job and got an interview. I met up with an old friend.

You don't read my writing to hear me whine about life. Though the internet makes that readily available, I aim at a higher purpose for my readership. You read my writing because a.) you are my mother or her very wonderful friends, or b.) because you love food as much as I do and expected me to start writing about wonderful New York restaurants.

I live to serve!

As I toiled away at all these life changing moves, I also ate! Of course I ate, how else would I deal with it all. What did I eat, and more importantly, what do I recommend?

I do not recommend Burrito Bowl on a Sunday night after a day of drinking screwdrivers and Coors Light watching football. This little combo also led to the sobbing, tough love, and revelation about my situation though, so maybe a little gastrointestinal queasiness helps occasionally. Of late, I have also rediscovered Thai food. Not exactly in the aforementioned category of revelations, I know, but after a summer of bi-weekly Thai Aroma, I didn't wanted to even sniff a plate of pad thai. Right down the street I've found multiple Thai places with $6 lunch specials! Made even more affordable when split between two people. Yes, I have become that cheap.

My kitchen presents its own problems. Not only am I sharing it with 4 other girls, but, well, see for yourself. It's not pretty, but it's all I've got.

My brief foray with a dishwasher already seems ages ago, and the cuisine gods laugh at my lack of counter space. Still, I've persevered in the form of beans and rice, potato soup, and lots of hummus and pita. After my first real grocery store run today, I can't wait to start making the basics again - faux hotdogs, spaghetti, and sandwiches with tofurkey.

So what ultimately led to my pick-me-up? A little time, a little love, and a little success - I got the job!

Gorgonzola and Scallions and Egglplant, Oh My!

2008-09-09T14:49:00.005-05:00

Bonus! Free print-out activity!

After a week of adjustment I'm ready to break out the pots and pans from their boxes. A new spin on things while I wait for more emailed recipes for the cookbook: I'm cooking some completely original dishes. Honestly, minus lunch time George-Foreman paninis, I very rarely try dishes that don't have some authority behind them. But I can't very well write a cookbook without this expertise now can I?

Why do I usually stick to recipes? Much like color by numbers, the final project usually comes out better when I follow a professional's orders. It's time I break free of those numbers and lines though and start thinking for myself.

Plus, I don't think I'll be able to garner much respect if I keep churning out the equivalent of the colored in Mr. Tooth. So I'm on to bigger and better.

I don't expect to start out with the mashed potato version of Starry Night on my first go, but if I can let go of this artistic metaphor, I will still produce something tasty enough to make my roommates happy. This is how we get better, right? By trying new things, by branching out on our own. Maybe I will have to donate my first efforts to the dog. Eventually I hope to serve my cuisine to those with more refined palettes.

Just wait, for one day you'll be knocking down my door for the secret to my eggplant glaze. I'll just wink at Panther and keep on cooking.

Welcome to Williamsburg, It's Effing Nuts

2008-09-05T19:59:00.006-05:00

I've successfully arrived in Williamsburg, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. The move couldn't have gone more smoothly, a fact I particularly appreciated after reading a vignette about a girl locking herself out of her apartment twice during the course of a day while moving. While amusing to read, I don't think I would have handled the situation well in real time.

But even the ease of the this physical transition doesn't mean that it's without emotional hardships. I couldn't have asked for a better place to live or greater roommates, and I am nothing less than blissful that it only takes a subway ride to get to my boyfriend's place. Still, I miss the certainty of knowing my surroundings.

In times such of these, missing my comfort food establishments hits hard.
I don't know the location of grocery stores; I certainly don't know where to find any products once inside them. I don't know where to order from when I want comfort food. I don't even know the layout of my own kitchen yet. Exploring the area for new finds excites me. I love turning into the nooks and crannies of streets to find a great cup of coffee or some tres magnifique French cuisine. Until I know a couple of those streets a little better though, it feels a bit like floating through a sea and I can't quite stay above water yet. What I wouldn't give right now for a familiar falafel or a guaranteed good cupcake.

Soon I'll know my way around better than a puppy through a pee covered yard. I won't know which tree to sniff, I'll love them all so much. Until then though, I'll just have to adjust bit by bit, night by night, and with the help of my those that love me around here.

There have to be at least a couple of people that feel that way about me!

Re: So Much Support for Seeing Un-Retouched Women!

2008-09-01T08:39:00.007-05:00

It took almost 1000 people joining my Show Our Beauty campaign before I received my first legitimate criticism. I have seen only a few cynical comments, but otherwise the support has been overwhelmingly positive. I knew it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped.

Dropped indeed! Not only did the negative comment come, it came with a blow. Go ahead and read for yourself:

Anonymous said...

There is no such thing as a "body image message".

Call this "campaign" for what it really is: Angry, jealous, bitter fatties and ugly people not wanting to be reminded there are hot, good-looking people on this planet.

No one wants fat people on the cover of their fashion magazines.

Why don't you people just go on diets, instead of forcing the acceptance of your body types on others?

IDIOTS!

What a mouth-full! Now, normally I might ignore such a comment, but I really feel that this deserves to be addressed for the following reasons. First, Anon. are you my ex-boyfriend? Sure sounds like you. Second, and more importantly, this poor soul misunderstood the campaign completely and I would like to allow him or her the opportunity to still join when it is explained in full. What if others also have not grasped the simple concept that I have laid out so clearly? What if the Jezebel article or the myriad of other blogs that have covered this have misstated my purpose? What if Faith Hill thinks I'm calling her a 'fattie'?

Rest easy, dear readers, for here I lay out an easy-to-follow explanation, primarily though the mechanism of responding to our Anon poster.

There is no such thing as a "body image message". Possibly a mistake on my part; I recommend the following in its place: "a message pertaining to the crisis of female-held body image misconception." My attempt at brevity obviously confused Anon. I would like to refer him or her to the studies done by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and the YWCA Eliminating Racism; Empowering Women foundations to assure Anon. that this crisis is real and needs support from women around the world.

Next, we move on to Anon.'s suggestion for retitling the campaign. I did some googling, and it turns out Anon. spoke the truth! I found lots of people that agree with her about the existence of bitter fatties and uglies. Let's take a look:

Oddly, these people that agree with Anon. seem to be young black men who wear green shirts and enjoy activities such as coloring, kickball, and, say, teasing little girls. But no matter - someone has to remind the fatties about the hot people on the planet! How else would they ever find out?

Certainly, Anon. just wants to make sure that we keep Faith Hill, Jessica Simpson and all those other fatties/uglies (fugly sluts!) off the fashion magazine covers. My position is that if said celebrities have to be airbrushed, then a normal human being can't live up to those standards, even one as good-looking and wonderful as I'm sure Anon. is!

Honestly, even my witticisms cannot fathom how to respond to the comment "No one wants fat people on the cover of their fashion magazines." If this is a legitimate cry for help Anon., I suggest a school counselor, or if you've made it this far in the real world hiding your judgmental self-loathing, then the American Mental Health Counselors Association has resources to direct you to someone you can talk to.

But onto Anon.'s charge - why don't all these fat people go on diets? Dear lord, has Anon. just single-handedly solved America's obesity crisis? Dr. Oz, get this prodigy a position!

I will give Anon. this much, he/she has hit the nail on the head about America's feeling on acceptance: we won't allow it! Conform! Change to fit our demands! I hope Anon. takes considerable consolation that at least his or her views fit the status quo. Everyone wants to be accepted by others! Uh-oh, I smell a paradox. Can you be accepted by people that hate acceptance?

Finally, I would just like to thank Anon. for the Napoleon Dynamite-esque sign-off. It's been too long.

So thank you, Anon. Thank you.

The Vegan 100

2008-08-29T13:26:00.002-05:00

I found this through a post on BlogHer. I absolutely accept. Truthfully, I haven't had all of these dishes in their vegan form (Pre Vegan? PV?) but I thought I would still include them.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto - had this at a great breakfast place in Andersonville
2. Green Smoothie - as long as "Green Machine" from Naked counts
3. Tofu Scramble - one of my all-time favorites
4. Haggis - have found some really great recipes for this, must try
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee - PV, obviously
7. Fondue - again, PV in this case
8. Marmite/Vegemite - when in Rome, or Eastern Europe, do as they do
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush - total staple
11. Nachos - my favorite vegan version at the Chicago Diner
12. Authentic soba noodles - favorite dish at Japonaise
13. PB&J sandwich - I did date a guy in high school that had never tried jelly
14. Aloo gobi - I love Indian food
15. Taco from a street cart - if we're getting particular about tacos, then no. Hot dog? Yes.
16. Boba Tea - I've never tried bubble tea! No reason.
17. Black truffle - frankly I think it is overrated
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream - Rice Dream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche - love, love, love a good ceviche
24. Rice and beans - feasted daily on this for a month in the Dominican Republic
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar - too rich for my blood
29. Baklava - just finished some great baklava off from a place around the corner
30. Pate - made a vegan pate out of cashews and mushrooms, so good. The real thing freaks me out.
31. Wasabi peas - didn't like. At all.
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl - black bean vegetarian soup in a sourdough bowl from Panera?
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float - have never drank pop.
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly - what?
39. Gumbo - all cajun food makes my tastebuds jump for joy.
40. Fast food french fries - a weekness, I confess.
41. Raw Brownies - Mom always told me no because of e.coli, but I always did it anyway
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl - maybe with some naan?
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - wine is a passion
46. Stroopwafle - no but I need to
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi - I've always found this to be a bit boring in taste
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed - well, I've eaten sushi, so, yes.
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey - love it in pastas
54. Sheese - need to try this, sounds amazing!
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada - honestly, no, I don't like getting caught in the rain
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores - once my Girl Scout leader told us that if you ate over 250 S'mores in your life you were going to be fat. I believed her for about 7 years.
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry - yes please
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake - a la the Chardon Maple Festival
68. Smoked tofu - tofu amazes me in all forms
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho - one of my favorite dishes in the summer.
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe - we had this in our aptartment senior year of college, but I never tried it. Blame it on Eurotrip.
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake - how about the vegan cupcakes at Molly's?
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy - from our vegan Christmas dinner
79. Jerky - just had the jerk tofu sandwich from Karyn's Cooked. See above for how I feel about Cajun.
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup - my favorite soup in the whole wide world
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79 - no, but I'm going as soon as possible. The move to NYC happens this weekend!
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan - the most amazingly versitile food
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti - num num num
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta - another versitile entree I love to cook with
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough - aka yes, I've been broken up with before

I Almost Forgot How Much I Can't Stand Marcel

2008-08-27T16:39:00.005-05:00

Police arrested Marcel Vigneron, runner up of Top Chef Season 2, in Laguna Beach this past weekend on suspicion of a DUI. He was released on a $2,500 bail.

First off, let me just say with as much impartiality I can, that Marcel has brought innovative cooking methods to the forefront of the culinary world. I applaud his efforts and success.

Okay, more importantly, even with the fact that I know reality TV shows edit to make certain people look worse (or better), I still couldn't stand this guy. He RAPPED during one of the episodes! RAPPED. I tried to find a video of it, but no such luck. It included the phrase: "The haters wanna kick me out just like salt with peppa, but I'm like, yeah whateva." Or something along those lines. It was probably even worse than I recall.

Here's his mug shot, for anyone that missed seeing his Wolverine like mane.

Besides Marcel's insistent use of foam in every dish, what I despised about him was his "victim but still a badass" persona. I'm never happy when anyone gets a DUI, and certainly driving drunk doesn't stand to make him any more endearing to me.

I'll stick to Stephanie Izard as my favorite Top Chef.

Update: So Much Support for Seeing Un-Retouched Women!

2008-08-26T13:58:00.000-05:00

(Cross blogged at BlogHer)

Last week I wrote a post about the importance of sending out the right type of body image messages, and the equal importance of the repetition of those messages. In the post, I mentioned a campaign I had created: Show Our Beauty: A Challenge to Women's Magazines. The response has been unbelievable.

After a post on Jezebel and it's sister site Gawker, almost 900 people have joined. Almost 900 people who want to see what a woman really looks like on a magazine cover. Not everyone responded positively; one woman blogger berated the campaign from taking the spotlight away from other more important issues. (See what she said here.)

My response? People want to know they can help. They want to make a difference! But not everybody knows exactly how to make that difference or has the resources to donate. The "Show Our Beauty" campaign gives people an outlet - their participation is minimal (buy two issues of a magazine supporting something they believe in) for a big payoff (getting national attention focused on the unhealthy body images and media perceptions of females).

Most other responses have included words of support, graditude and links and stories that shed further light on the somewhat shady world of photo-retouching. I'm listing some of the best here.

A New Yorker Article on Pascal Dangin, one of the top photo re-touchers in the world. Not only does he boast three houses and an Aston Martin for his work, the publishers don't mention him in any credits in magazine. His work is referred to as clandestine, why?

The website This Looked Shopped features some really eye-opening articles and videos that show just how ingrained photo-retouching is in the world of the modern media, and how unaware we can be of it.

A friend directed me to the work of Lauren Greenfield. Her photography captures a lot of what I'm unable to articulate in some of these blog posts and emails.

So to those who haven't joined the fight, please do and send it on to friends and family. The more people involved, the more likely a magazine is to respond to our challenge. For anyone that wants more information, feel free to contact me at clare[dot]ondrey[at]gmail[dot]com. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going for this campaign and show women everywhere that they need not strive for perfection, because it does not exist except on the covers and in the pages of photo-shopped magazines.

Getting Spoiled Rotten

2008-08-24T20:52:00.005-05:00

On my most recent to do list, getting treated like an all-star wasn't at the top. Weird, I know. Fortunately, life has a way of knowing how much I love pretending I'm a princess, so she helped out.

I did plan a couple final outings with my roommate to celebrate our last week in Chicago together. Most involved food. Okay, they all involved food, except for the "Take Chicago Architecture Boat Tour" which we didn't end up doing. We ditched it for guacamole and wine at our favorite local restaurant.

Totally worth it. I know guac doesn't photograph well, but fortunately my roommate does so I kept her in this picture for the aesthetic value.

Loyal readers will recall that I once described this particular guacamole as "the best guacamole I've ever tasted." Very true.

So back to the to do list.

Another past post I mentioned a chef friend of mine who will be working as Stephanie Izard's executive sous chef. We visited him at his current place of business before we left his city.

A major splurge for our intern budgets, we went to Custom House. We figure we'd stick to the salad end of things. Don't worry though, our chef friend kept our palates busy with some fantastic complimentary dishes.

Here's an abbreviated photo-log of the night:

Our appetizers: so good we forgot to take the before picture and had to settle for the after.

I learned from my mistakes when the four desert plates came around because those went pretty fast too.

And I tried to catch a couple of Dave at work in the kitchen - he's the blurry face.

A very cool night for all involved, particularly for those eating. Nothing makes me happier than great food, wine, and friends. Oh, except for getting treated like a princess.

So I guess I had all my bases covered on that one!

Excite Me!

2008-08-21T17:51:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite sites, Jezebel, picked up the Show Our Beauty campaign on The Point.

Read the story written by Senior Editor Dodai Stewart.

See my all day reactions on Erin's and my newly started tumblr account. Plus, we're hoping our tumblr becomes pretty big; it's fun.

Really, last time something this cool happened was in second grade when I won the Easter Basket raffle. The whole school bought tickets! And I won!

But this is better.

The Importance of Repitition: Sending Out Positive Body Issue Messages

2008-08-20T13:12:00.004-05:00

(A departure from my normal themes. Cross-blogged at BlogHer)

At least once a day I forget everything I've ever learned about keeping a positive attitude about my body image. A negative trigger goes off and suddenly I berate myself for eating too much or not exercising enough. Everywhere I look I see bulletin board GAP models laughing at my waist size and magazine cover celebrities poo-pooing my forming wrinkles.

Now, nobody's perfect, and I don't expect to prance through fields filled with flowers shouting about how freaking great my body looks. But I do have remember how many images bombard women everyday that feature skinny, beautiful models that have been retouched and perfected. Statistics exist on just how many (an enormous number) but what's more important is how many messages are we seeing that say the opposite? Not nearly enough.

I listened/read Podcast: Interview with Kelly Park from 'How to Look Good Naked' and realized how strong the reaction is from people when they are finally given the message that their body looks good. Why is it so hard for these women, for us? Because we are fighting an uphill battle.

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty has started some of the conversation, and we need even more. We need to be telling each other how good we look, and we need to be seeing images like the ones presented on HTLGN or other shows that celebrate, not berate.

One solution I've come up with is to target one of the biggest proliferaters of this message: women's magazines. Showing our role models and celebrities (sometimes one in the same, sometimes not) with no imperfections does not inspire, it depresses. One of the worst examples happened on the cover of Redbook, a magazine that's supposed to appeal to the maturity and interests of women.

My humble efforts have been put in place through a campaign that asks a major women's magazine to publish an issue without using retouching or photoshop on their cover or in their magazine. Anyone that joins the campaign commits to buying two issues.

The only way to combat the negative body images we see everyday is by sending the positive ones out there ourselves. This is important for young girls especially, but we don't become immune at any age. I hope to at least pass this message on to my friends and (someday in the far future!) my daughters. Again, and again, and again!

Cleaning Up Shop

2008-08-19T15:28:00.003-05:00

My move to New York happens in two short weeks. Yes - they will be shorter than your average week because the rules of physics do not apply when you move to a new city. Didn't you know?

For the time being, I've put cookbook tryouts on hold while I tend to another task: using all the remaining food in my kitchen.

So last night I pooled the following items:

Can of diced tomatoes, can of pinto beans, half of a summer squash, remaining frozen vegetables, frozen faux chicken breast, soy bacon, garlic, and onion

Basically, I threw 'em all in a pot. I added some salt, pepper and cumin, and as the great Carl Weathers says in "Arrested Development,"

Baby, you've got a stew going!

No, but seriously, it was pretty tasty.

Now what do I do with cranberries, artichoke hearts, vegan cheese, and frozen mango cubes?

Cooking with Stephen Q.

2008-08-15T10:53:00.006-05:00

The start of the fourth season of Top Chef inspired a tradition that has continued long past the finale. My friend Steve and I cooked a new dish before each show and then ate it while yelling obscenities at the screen about who should win. Stephanie surprised us! We thought Richard would take it all. As proud Chicagoans though, we supported Steph's win 100%!

Plus in the traditional upper-echelon blogging style, into which I am trying to indoctrinate myself, I must mention that Stephanie Izard asked my good friend Dave to be her Sous Executive Chef. He tells me that the her restaurant is slated to open next spring in Chicago.

Though the show ended a few months ago, we still cook weekly. One of my favorite parts? I do a lot of the cooking, and Steve does most of the cleaning. I like that.* We've had some hits and misses but he eats anything and I like trying new dishes so we are a great combo.

*If you want to know how I feel about cleaning a kitchen see this column I wrote in college.

In a final effort to rid my apartment of anything I don't need before the move, I am trying to use all my food products. Last night's mission: the rice noodles that had been sitting in the cabinet for 2 months. I had planned at some point on making pad thai, but my work orders from Thai Aroma every week and I've gotten just a little more than sick of the ketchup based dish. Yes, you read that right, pad thai has a base of peanut sauce and usually ketchup.

We decided on garlic-ginger tofu stir-fry from the Go Veg blog.

A quick trip to the Lincoln Park Market included dodging moldy snow-peas (we were using them instead of carrots) and picking a substitution for bok choy (purple cabbage). Obviously, Lincoln Park Market hasn't wowed me with their produce selection. Then we started cooking.

Delicious. This post is less about the dish though and more about this tradition that I will sad to leave behind. Yes, partly because I love that Steve cleans after I cook, but he also has an attribute essential for a good cooking friend - a willingness to try anything. He has never once whined about tofu, plead for a frozen dinner, or requested delivery.

So thanks Steve, for the all the times you went back for second helpings even though you didn't think the butternut squash was cooked enough.

Don't think that Steve has been a kitchen-only friend though. Thank you also for the time you left me at Hangge-Uppe, buying my soul (I traded it for free drinks from him; his roommate drew up the contract on a napkin at Harry Carry's before a Cubs game), and generally just being my best friend.

In case you ladies are interested in dating this wonder of a man, feel free to contact me, I'll pass on his info. Here's the picture I would pick for his dating profile on Chemistry.com:

Feel free to thank me now Steve!

Tryouts

2008-08-12T19:34:00.004-05:00

Aren't your favorite movie montages the ones that feature audition after audition of horrible or weird talent (and the occasional extreme talent that just mixed up what kind of audition was being held) only to have the perfect person come in at the last second?

Isn't that why we like "American Idol?"

Thankfully, trying out my recipes hasn't started that way. Good for me since I have to taste these dishes, not watch them after being edited by a film professional. I scrutinized the first dish for taste and ease, but everything came together beautifully. If this is all it takes to write a cookbook, I should have started years ago!

Mais non, it is not all garlic and olive oil. As I maintain my vegan standards when cooking, I tweaked the my first test-run to make it without the dairy but with the taste; the original had 2 cups of Parmesans cheese. The result was delicious, but I'm going to need some help to test out the recipes if I keep up like this.

It's a cookbook about mother-daughter cooking? Perfect! My gourmet mother will be trying out the non-vegan selections. Problem solved. More testing news to come - don't forget to send your recipes to me: clare [dot] cookbook [at] gmail [dot] com

Perhaps you like an edgier (crueler) judge-fest though. I found this gem that occurs two days after I move up to Crooklyn - think I can still enter?

Gawker:"We Will Be at the Williamsburg Pageant with Bells On"

On the Prowl...

2008-08-10T22:52:00.008-05:00

For the last few months I've been searching for a job. No fun! It's been a challenge, and sometimes I put my cooking on the wayside, which is also no fun. I have a cooking "to do" list I've ignored for the past few weeks along with my gym time, my phone calls to friends and my desire to clean my apartment.*

*Okay, that last one usually sticks with me job hunting or no.

I really want a great job. I want to work hard, and I want to learn a lot. I can't wait until I find that a position that can fulfill those requirements for me. Right now I'm just focused on following leads and finding opportunities. I sound so boring.

So what have I done to ease the pain? Eat.

Nutritionists must tell their clients to keep a diet diary for a reason, because just writing it down immediately guilts me.

My emotional eating hasn't reached unhealthy heights* but it still worries me. When an HR woman told me they chose to move forward with another candidate - I ate a second lunch of Indian food and went to a top steak house for dinner. Later during the weekend I consumed the following: guacamole, veggie burger, asparagus, Mexican inspired ceviche, half a piece of pizza, peanuts, a falafel pita, two grape leave wraps and a Japanese noodle dish with a side salad.

*According to my health standards; isn't admitting you have a problem the first step?

Nutritionists must tell their clients to keep a diet diary for a reason, because just writing it down immediately guilts me into not wanting to eat for the next two days. What I see when not blinded by my food shame: no home-cooked meals on that list.

So this week, it's back to the kitchen. As I email my resume out, I will also be grilling veggies. As I read trade magazines, I will be baking vegan casseroles. As I pray to the gods to inspire technology/marketing HR people to hire me, I will be, well you get it.

Just as I'm getting into Web 2.0, so must I start Clare 2.0. Better, faster, employed!

Chicago Diner, or, Why Hipsters Shun Me

2008-08-04T23:06:00.006-05:00

I wanted to write a post about my favorite restaurant in Chicago. That's a high title as Chicago boasts some very fine dining.

I went to Charlie Trotter's last weekend which is ranked number 38 in the world. Down the street there's a joint that has the best guacamole I've ever tasted. So why does Chicago Diner get my vote as favorite restaurant?

Because there, and only there, am I accepted by hipsters.

For those of you who don't know what a hipster is (or those of you who think you are not hipsters but totally are), my basic definition includes anyone that listens to music they discovered before the artist sold out. They wear clothes primarily from American Apparel - partly because the clothes are made from manufacturers with fair trade standards, partly because their ad campaigns are super provocative, and partly because all their friends work there.

Hipsters do not participate in main stream culture. They live outside the boundaries and they like hanging out in fields painting on Saturdays.

Is there anything wrong with any of this? Of course not! If you're doing your thing, more power to you. The problem with hipsters has its roots in the same problem that Avril Lavigne ran into after debuting the rocker-chic-eye-liner-tie-wearing-faux-school-girl look. It was original when she did it, but the next 45,000 people wearing a tie and telling people that life's just so complicated didn't inspire me.

Hipsters choose their lifestyle to escape convention and judgment from others. They want to be free to live their lives in unflattering spandex and date men that have ironic mustaches. Great! Enjoy!

Why, oh why, then do they judge and shun me when I attend their events?

I work for a very hipster friendly magazine and help manage their events and promotions. This past weekend I helped them host a successful shin-dig; during part of the party I worked the VIP list. During the other part of the party - I was systematically ignored by each hipster that walked through the door.

The answer to my aforementioned question: they judge me. Maybe they can tell there were hot rollers in my hair earlier that night. Maybe their grandma died in a horrible accident and my pearls remind them of her. They can sense that I watch "So You Think You Can Dance," and they can smell the stink of sorority on me. I'm too counter-culture for their now well-defined culture.

But at Chicago Diner, everyone accepts everyone else. This haven is located in Boystown - a part of the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. There, large rainbows adorn phallic symbols that line the streets showing the acceptance that comes along with multi-colors, penises, and many stores that sell vibrators.

Here I can wear a polo shirt and eat my vegan food. I can sit next to the boys with the semi-mullets, the woman who still breast feeds her 3 year old in public, and no one gives me a second look. I love that.

Especially as I get ready to move to the hipster capital of the world, aka Williamsburg, NY, I have to remember to still stay true to what I like. What I like doing, wearing, eating, watching, and being. I'll find the hipsters that would eat at The Chicago Diner - the true hipsters. The true people.

Plus, the food is absolutely, ridiculously incredible.

Schwing! Success!

2008-07-29T14:22:00.004-05:00

All 35 commitments have been obtained!

Thank you to everyone that signed up! I can now start the best part - trying out your recipes!

Just wanted write a quick note to let everyone know that we've reached what the point calls "the tipping point." This means that my project is more likely to succeed because I already know that people are interested and invested in it.

I've set up an email account for the recipes: clare[dot]cookbook[at]gmail[dot]com. Send 'em on over and let's start the real fun.

In other news:

If you want to do something good for the world today, join the Bono, Retire from Public Life and we'll Donate a Ton of Money to Fight AIDS campaign.

Two birds, one stone!

High Fructose Corn Syrup - No Good!

2008-07-28T11:06:00.005-05:00

I have been researching high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for a project at work and found a huge number of people interested in getting rid of HFCS in their diet. I wrote a note on facebook about some of the issues regarding HFCS and why the stuff is so nasty for the body. Plus, the web has a plethora of articles, blog posts and campaigns dealing with the subject. If you are interested in reading any of them - here are some of the most interesting and informative I've found:Feeding Kids, US Food Policy Blog, The Fat ExPat, and Culinate.

The campaign on The Point that led me to find this information is using the approach of a carrot (consumer dollars) instead of a boycott. We want to show soda manufacturers how many people would buy soda if it was sweetened with pure cane or beet sugar instead of HFCS. Jones Soda made the switch, and maybe one of the major companies will too. Anyone interested in joining can find the campaign here.

My boyfriend is getting more and more concerned that I'm going to make him a health nut too. He relaxed a little after he ate the jambalaya I made him this weekend (vegan and HFCS free!).

Okay I may have added some chorizo to his half of the dish, but I do love making him happy! He returned to New York last night, but only one month until I move up there.

Until then, I send him songs like this that hopefully embarrass him at work.

On Tofu

2008-07-21T20:53:00.006-05:00

I don’t specifically recall my first exposure to tofu, but I do remember not being impressed. It looked like cheese to me, which meant it should be delicious! Instead it tasted soggy and plain. When I decided to cut out red meat at the age of 11, I never thought I could swear off all meat because of the sad state of my relationship with tofu.

I tried tofu again at an Asian restaurant some years later. It seemed to me that if anyone knew good tofu, these Asians would. However, since this was less “5 star” and more “mall food court,” I found myself again disappointed. This time the tofu was chewy in addition to being tasteless. I almost lost hope.

Luckily, my mind changed about the soy product. I have since discovered its joys and versatility, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I understand where others are coming from when they claim to dislike tofu, but I wonder if they know tofu the way I do.

In nutritional standings, tofu ranks high. Low in calories and fat, high in protein and completely free of cholesterol, tofu has proved itself as in studies as a heart healthy alternative to meat. An extremely versatile food, tofu can take on any flavor and many textures. I have had tofu in breakfast, lunch, dinners and desserts. None of the meals have disappointed.

How can you overcome your rift with tofu? Hopefully my cookbook will help. I plan on including tofu recipes to satisfy the savory to the sweet tooth. The best way to get over the fear of the unfortunately named bean curd is to try out recipes with it. You’ll be surprised at how well it works in a variety of dishes. My favorite vegan parfait from whole foods uses tofu and maple syrup to create the most delicious faux yogurt.

I’m posting a recipe that I made over the weekend for my (non-vegan, very meat-eating) parents. I still haven’t cracked my 18-year old brother, but he hasn’t gotten around to eating much besides steak, pirogues and hot dogs yet.

When I get him to convert, I’ll expect a personalized thank you note from peta.

Blackened Tofu with Navy Beans and Swiss Chard*

1 pkg extra firm tofu

1 can navy beans (drained and rinsed)

1 bunch swiss chard, cut into 2 in strips

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tbls Rice Vinegar

2 Tbls Paprika

2 Tbls ground black pepper

1 Tbls salt

1 Tbls cayenne pepper

1 Tbls Garlic powder

½ Tbls Thyme

½ Tbls Oregano

2 Tbls EVOO

Slice the tofu (length-wise), then again diagonally creating four pieces

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar and garlic and paprika, marinate tofu pieces in mixture for 30 min

Combine pepper through oregano on plate, dip each piece of tofu on both sides into rub

Heat large saucepan on stove with EVOO, place tofu slices into pan

Cook 3 minutes on first side, flip, and add navy beans to pan.

Cook until desired firmness is reached (approx. 4 min)

Turn off heat, add swiss chard and cover, let sit for 2 min.

Serve with swiss chard as a bed for the beans and tofu.

Serves four.
*Blackened Tofu taken from recipe at www.goveg.com

Almost Up and Running

2008-07-16T00:07:00.002-05:00

I am at 25 out of the 35 necessary commitments I need to start the cookbook. According to mathematicians everywhere, that means I have 71% of the necessary members. I am so close and I can’t wait to start trying recipes. Haven’t signed up yet? What are you waiting for?

Some people have gotten worried about the fact that their recipes aren’t healthy enough. Sign up and send them in any way! A lot of what I’m hoping to do with the book involves writing memoir type stories and anecdotes. So even if your recipe makes hearts and arteries everywhere shudder, I will probably still use it! I want good, healthy food, but I really want great stories. I hope to become a professional writer and utilizing these skills in a cookbook certainly can only help my ultimate goal.

Offers for recipes have also come in from people not using the campaign on the point, and I hope to use those. I have received responses from some cookbook authors and bloggers that I greatly respect and am so excited to hear from them. In particular, I have heard from Nava Atlas, the author of Vegan Express (my favorite vegan cookbook), Amy Cook, the author of the food blog at goveg.com and Janelle, the author of the blog Talk of Tomatoes. Their advice and encouragement has been great to hear, or I suppose to read.

Offers for recipes from my father have also come in, though he hasn’t signed up for the point campaign either. He has offered me a tasty hot dog recipe. I’ll give a big hint for this one: it involves boiling water. Don’t say you didn’t get any sneak peaks!

I will wait until the rest of my recipes come in while I work on some of my own. I work on recipes my mom has taught me, some I have taught her, and some that I think she will like. Plus, I spend many of my nights trying recipes from the authors listed above, from Cooking Light magazine and from my imagination. So I’ve got plenty to keep me busy -- oh, and getting a job and apartment in NYC occupy some of my time also.

When I Get Hungry, Get Out of My Way

2008-07-08T12:08:00.006-05:00

My hunger sneaks up on me. I have no idea it's coming and then I get ravenous - eat your arm ravenous. This is why I firmly believe in two important things:

Snacks and Leftovers

I've upheld this mantra since my youth. After school I needed a snack. Not just because I wanted something to munch on, I mean I would beat up my little brother until my mother provided me with a snack. I was indeed that hungry, plus he was at a pretty annoying stage of life - he's really made some great progress since the age of three. One of my favorite snacks: little faux-tortillas made of salami and filled with cottage cheese.

I've progressed somewhat as well, some of my favorite snacks now include:

Soy yogurt with cinnamon and a banana (I recommend WholeSoy & Co. yogurt)

Celery and hot sauce (at some point I will write a post on how hot sauce is the universal condiment, stay tuned!)

Wheat bread and any kind of fun 'butter' i.e. pear butter, cashew butter. I try to find fun butters at the farmers' market.

Now onto the leftovers - a key to my anti-hunger crusade. This requires some background first. During my final year of college I had some unfortunate events involving roommates and our food cleaning habits (read more about the lovely situation here). I quickly learned that cooking for large groups, while fun, ensures that clean up will be a pain. And so began my journey to find ways to cook just enough.

The golden ratio I've stumbled upon is approx. 2.5 generous servings per dish, per person. This allows enough food for all, including the large and hearty men I usually end up cooking for, and just the right amount of leftovers for me to make into a snack!

It's all come full circle now! You see how one is the other and really the world is colored with shades of gray! Revelation of revelations. When I become hungry, I have a fully cooked snack available to me at a touch of a microwave button. This reduces clean-up from the making of the snack as well. I've covered all my bases and allowed my roommate to keep her arm intact. Success!

What can I say, I like to celebrate the little victories in life.

Let's make this clear.. an entry on selectarianism

2008-07-02T13:15:00.011-05:00

When people ask what I eat, I tell them I am a vegan.

When I go to restaurants where the only vegan option is salad I will order something that has dairy in it.

"How contradictory! Outrage!" You exclaim!

But I don't see it that way. Let me explain.

I chose to become a vegan six-seven months ago in January 2008. I read "Skinny Bitch" and immediately had to completely give up meat. If you want to know why the change had to be so quick, read the book. Otherwise, just trust me, I had to. But the book doesn't stop there, it advocates for full fledged veganism. In addition, the authors hate refined sugars, coffee and constipation. They really go all out.

Eventually I do want to be a full-fledged, card-carrying vegan. I recognize that the world hasn't made the shift yet and sometimes I have to adjust to that.
So I chose to go vegan, cut back on my alcohol intake and nix all the caffeine. I haven't been completely successful. I still drink coffee on mornings when I can't see straight and I think even if it's organic vegan red wine, drinking a bottle of it is not on the recommended list. But what I have found is that just like any lifestyle decision, putting it into practice involves a lot of work and adjustment. Frankly, I'm proud of what I've been able to accomplish. Here's how I've done it so far:

At home, all the food is vegan. The food I cook, snack on and bring with me somewhere adheres to the strictest of vegan rules. I love trying to make new dishes, and if they suck, I can only blame myself. Or my roommate.

At restaurants without clear vegan options I am more lax. Have you ever gone out to eat with someone on a strict diet and they took 15 minutes to order? I know the cook is probably going to cook my grilled vegetables in butter (or worse) no matter what I ask for, so I try to keep it as simple as possible.

Eating with my boyfriend is where I really mess up. What can I say? He makes me so happy, and really how could I tell him no when he orders me ice cream? Plus we're in a little bit of a battle of the meat eater vs. the vegan. Even I'll admit sometimes a little compromise is necessary to keep everyone afloat. He did take a bite of my vegan (read: tofu) quiche, so we're both trying!

Eventually I do want to be a full-fledged, card-carrying vegan. I recognize that the world hasn't made the shift yet and sometimes I have to adjust to that. I pick my battles - and most importantly, I feel good. How can you argue with that? So when I tell you I'm a vegan, I mean that I am against factory farms, pollution and cruelty. When I order the veggie burger even though there is cheese in the patty, it means that I'm doing the best I can. Some people are better, but somebody's always going to be better. Those jerks can look down on me all they want.

I'm still occasionally going to order the portobello entree even if it comes with a cream sauce. And I'm going to like it.

I Lost Money in Vegas

2008-06-30T12:42:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, my wonderful boyfriend took me to Las Vegas in celebration of the completion of my 23rd year (of life - to be clear).

While there I ate the following delicious meals:

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes - not technically a meal, they came with an entree of salmon, but I was less impressed by the seafood. As I don't generally like Wasabi, I just find it frankly amazing that the spice doesn't ruin this easy side. We ate these potatoes at China Grill, where said wonderful boyfriend proceeded to steal the chopsticks. This isn't a sign of kleptomania though, it's a response to the distinct lack of chopsticks when ordering Asian delivery. He's resourceful!

Chef's Veggie Burger - I treated boyfriend to a Kobe beef burger complete with blue cheese and caramelized onions while I tried the chef's veggie burger with pepper jack cheese and salsa. We declared both delicious. I also enjoyed two varieties of fries: sweet potato and regular. This meal took place at Burger Bar where honestly I was a little worried about the waitress. Something about the enormity of her surgically enhanced chest, her voice at a pitch only dogs could hear, and the confused look she gave me when I asked for a straw bothered me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Adult Macaroni and Cheese - Any time Vegas labels something as "adult," I assume it means you can contract a disease if you're not careful. These fried nuggets of goodness were totally STD free. We stumbled into FIX trying to grab dinner before going to Cirque du Soleil's "O" (incredible by the way). The meal ended with three banana filled donuts that could be dipped in chocolate sauce. So, so, so good. Before I recommend the whole place though, I must add that my butternut squash ravioli with feta left a lot to be desired.

Nachos - I don't really remember what restaurant this was at, as the nacho eating occurred after 1.) ChipnDales, 2.) A giant fishbowl rum drink with dry-ice 3.) The Playboy Club and 4.) Moon Nightclub. What I can tell you is that they were mind blowing. The ChipnDales dance routines were pretty great too, as was the lady in the second row who was celebrating her divorce. I was a little concerned for the safety of the men when she would get too close to the stage though.

In summary - healthy? No. Vegas has never, will never, be the pinnacle of a healthy lifestyle. However, no want goes unsatisfied there, including the desire for good food. A final mention: I didn't find one bad pina colada.

Getting the word out

2008-06-25T14:10:00.003-05:00

The first and most important step about this process is getting the word out about the project. Now, I admit, maybe this is just the most important step so far, but one thing at a time right?

I started by emailing some of my friends and family. Seems simple. You know me - you might have even given birth to me and this is your present - so you should sign up. But after a disappointing day of no additional members on my campaign, I realized something wasn't working right. So when today the number rose I checked out my first convert: my roommate. I think she partly joined because she knows the sooner we get these recipes, the sooner she gets to help me make them, and taste them.

Roomie* told me she wasn't aware that she could join the group without having her recipe ready to go. Well of course! That would slow some people down; finding a recipe takes a lot more work than just signing up online. So I went for round 2 of emails, this time explaining exactly what I was asking of them, and sure enough I had another member. I wonder if Gandhi got jazzed about people believing in him. I sure do. So now I have an important aspect to my strategy: make it clear, make it simple and make it still sound smart. After almost a year of not having to answer for my writing habits (don't like the lack of capitalization and punctuation in my emails? welp, sucks for you) I find myself having to return to clear and concise. I hope I can get back into the groove.

*I don't know if Laura cares if I put her name in here. Seeing as how I only have one roommate at the moment and taking into account the amount of Laura's there are in the world, I don't see how using Laura instead of an asinine pseudonym like "Roomie" could affect her in any way.

Now I will return to searching the masses for cooks and mothers, hoping that they too will want a part of the eternal offering of a listing on amazon.com. I briefly considered sending out emails that said at the bottom, "if you don't forward this to 10 of your friends I will steal your favorite shoes," but then I read a rant on religious spam mail and decided Gandhi would not be down with those efforts.

Start of the Journey

2008-06-24T13:28:00.002-05:00

Literally. I've started the journey. But maybe a little background on the journey itself.

I've always wanted to write. I wrote storybooks about my Barbies and I wrote college essays as a sophomore just to have an excuse to write more. For my senior project I sat at home and wrote four (rather boring) chapters of a novel. Sadly, the novel never made it to completion - as I hit college I decided a novel about how much I hated high school might need a little work. I wrote a column for the newspaper in college. I called it "Clarification," - how clever am I? If you google search my name (stalkers) you still find my stories of beer pong and frat land. This is a bit embarrassing, but some credibility beats none.

Now you should also know that I'm not great at picking out presents. I like to give presents that people love, but I always fall short somehow. So for my mother's birthday this year I thought long and hard about what she would just adore. Granted, I could still make a finger painting for her and she would love it, but I thought I would do something more age appropriate. I also have little to no money. So I thought and I thought and I sat like Pooh Bear sits in his thinking spot, and I too was struck by inspiration, though Piglet was nowhere to be found. I would make a cookbook for my mother!

As much as I love to write, I also revel in cooking. And if the title didn't give it away - Stirring and Whirring will chronicle my cooking adventures, and how they fit in with my lovely struggling young life. My mother introduced me to cooking; she taught me how and she shared all her favorite recipes. What a great gift! I'd print out some of our favorite recipes, maybe put a photo or two of us in lamination and bundle it all up for her. What a freaking great daughter I am. But then I started thinking more. I didn't just want a pot of honey; I want the whole tree! We all know what happened when Pooh dressed up as a bee - but I decided my efforts would be a bit more successful.

So came the cookbook plan. It started as an ebook, and then a full published book, and now I have settled on self publishing through a website (I haven't decided which). A lovely coincidence is that my job at thepoint was asking for ideas from me to use on their website for campaigns. The big wheels kept on turning, and before long I realized I really could take this to the next level and get contributions of recipes from others to include in the cookbook. Others like my mother herself, her friends, our family, my friends, and even some complete strangers. A collaboration of recipes that celebrate the mother-child-food-birthday-extravaganza.

That's the journey I'm on now. I can't see it as clearly as a yellow brick road, but I can see that it will involve lots of recipe testing, lots of writing, maybe lots of frustration and hopefully some ridiculous stories. That's just a guess. But as I put myself through this you can follow along.

If you want to be a part of the cookbook see my campaign - you can join!