Starting the journey…

Hi, my name is Hannah, and I am a self-diagnosed foodie. As some would say, they grew into this, but I would argue that I was destined from the time of diapers (yes, those really were the diapers I wore throughout my early youth-thanks for the self-confidence Mom). While at first my obsession started small with curiosity about a new restaurant or item on my plate, it soon grew into a larger interest entailing ethnic food markets and the internet, which brought about an excitement beyond geographical limitations! Before I knew it, I had fallen headfirst and was completely consumed with all things foodie. It was all I could think about, spent too much time and money on, and even dictated my choice of social circles and hobbies. I was in beyond the point of no return. But before I unravel my deep addiction and consuming pastime as we get to know each other, I feel it prudent to give the background, so you may understand the fate that was already set before me.

Yes, this really is me standing barefoot in a chicken coop, wearing the biggest diaper cover money could buy and a tie-dyed shirt that only my family could have made. My parents had both grown up in a large metro about an hour away, and while doing their own respective arts, met at an outdoor art festival. The hippy inspiration of living on love and craft brought them from a population 800k to 80 and set the scenery of my youth tucked between two rolling bluffs overlooking the river. Quite gorgeous actually, as an adult who can appreciate the lack of amusement parks and ice cream shops. As a child, I was dying to see what was passed the horizon, or at least the limitations of my bicycle.

And with that mindset, the journey began. If I needed to pick an exact moment when I ‘knew’ I was fated, I guess I could say the fourth grade school year, on one of my first field trips. Up until that point, I had been home schooled, and the concept of ‘normal’ or ‘cool’ was simply not in my vocabulary. I quickly learned what those words meant to a pre-pubescent female as I opened my lunch box, desperately hoping for the unspoked, uniformed lunch that seemed to be a white bread and turkey sandwich, fun-sized bag of chips and a juice box. Extra cool if you got a bite sized candy bar. Alas, no such luck. Starring back at me was my mom’s homemade stone ground wheat bread, spread thickly with something left over from the night before, likely smelling of garlic, with a mason jar of raw milk and bag of baby carrots-excuse me, not bag, but re-usable, environmentally safe container (ok, it wasn’t this scarring that I remember the exact contents, but you get the picture I’m painting). Being outside of the box was an area I had never considered, nor felt, before.

Fast forward many years, through frantic early mornings brewing the 357th pot of coffee for the local coffee club or pasting on a smile at 9:59pm when a 6-top comes in to order a full meal when the restaurant close at 10pm (don’t ever do that, just don’t), I worked my way through a variety of different food industry jobs. These experiences built on my already expanding knowledge of food, from ingredients and cooking techniques, to introductions to many wonderful people and influences. When I would clock out and finish rolling the last silverware set, I never seemed to leave work at work. Being a foodie was no longer something I turned on and off, but something I had become.

The wheels started to churn on my journey when my self-perception changed from the embarrassed girl on the park bench holding her lunch box of smelly garlic sandwiches to the passionate girl at the dinner table with her roommates, sharing cooking ideas and tips for how to impress the new boyfriend, boss, or family at that weekend’s dinner party. Suddenly, those years of wishing for the comfort of Betty Crocker’s kitchen to just be ‘normal’ had flipped (no offense intended-love me some Betty), and the contents, and knowledge, of my lunchbox was now the coveted commodity, and I became eager to share all I had learned over the years-whether by choice or circumstance. The expression ‘character building’ frequently used by my dad started to make sense here and has made me incredibly grateful for the trampoline sized diapers and fresh dinners prepared from the garden, worm holes and all.

I am far from knowing all in the culinary world and have been, and continue to be, on a constant learning experience. As with many things that are personally satisfying, I find it much more enjoyable to experience them with others and hope this blog will provide a platform to engage and expand a like-minded community of foodies with a shared passion. I am extremely excited to be starting this journey together and am embracing the vulnerable little girl clinging tightly to her lunch box, sharing my passion with you. Thank you for stopping by to say hi and I hope our paths will cross frequently in the future. Please take a peek around my site and enjoy!