obsession.

There are tons of people who truly love food. This is by far an unoriginal passion but a passion of mine nonetheless. The passion. And I just had this realization that all day, everyday, my life is consumed by thoughts of food. I eat breakfast, usually in some hurried fashion, throwing an egg into a pan and then into my stomach. When I get to school (I work as a preschool assistant), I eye my children's snack and then their lunch looking for quality and inspiration from the parents packing these lunchboxes. If I pack my own lunch, I think about it until my break, demanding a quiet spot to eat it. My chest swells with pride if someone compliments my sandwich or the leftovers I brought from the night before.

And then there is dinner. My first question to Corey, my man, is always, "So, what do you want for dinner?" Of course a more considerate question would be something along the lines of "How was your day?" But no, I have my eye on the prize. He humors me by pretending to mull it over. Sometimes he is certain of what he wants but more often than not (and this is just a testament to how wonderful he is), Corey will pretend to be a part of my decision making process, making me feel like I've included him but ultimately understanding that this is my show. Don't get me wrong, the man is no push-over. I think he just gets, maybe even more than I do, how much I truly love food and specifically, dinner.

Okay. I am surrounded by wonderful and amazing cooks. Shout-outs should now go out to my sister (Ellen), my aunt (Sally), Corey's mom (Diane), my best friend (Mary Stuart), my Vassar ladies (Caroline-vegetarian cooking is her passion and Katy-a truly inspired baker), my next door neighbor (Bethany), my Seattle homie (Sue) and even-though-she-strongly-disagrees, my mother (Shirley). My father is gifted as well and can certainly give you a tip or two on when to hit up the grocery store for well-stocked aisles. Lastly, there is the all-time inspiration, my late grandmother, GRANDMAMA (aka Miss Edith). This woman was a powerhouse and you will hear of her extensively throughout this blog, I am sure of it. So, I grew up not knowing that later in life, when left to my own devices, I would actually learn to cook for myself. I moved all the way to Seattle to learn how to cook all of the things I grew up eating. And I have been winning people over with baked grits, tomato pie and collard greens ever since.

So, it seems only fitting that I should start writing about food. Corey is going to help me out with this one and I hope to put up pictures of my/our creations as well as honest critiques of meals eaten out all over this town (Seattle) and possible future towns I will call home. This blog is all things food, all of the time.