sarah
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
so, it's been snowing here on the east coast. i can't say it's on the level as last year's Snowmageddon, but i did get snowed in for a day. the only thing that i wanna do when i get cooped up in the house, besides watching old movies, is burn in the kitchen.

last year, right before the snow storm hit, and i'm talking mere hours, i went to Wegman's and had a field day. i spend a substantial amount of my stipend on quality meats, such as steak, lamb chops, ground turkey, pork chops, chicken thighs, and sausages, fresh seafood, like salmon, shrimp, catfish, and tilapia, and i burned through the produce section, stocking up on colorful and fresh looking veggies and fruits. i was in heaven. i love the grocery store and can spend hours meandering through the aisles. because of my passion for grocery store aerobics, it's a must that the grocery store be a haven of quality and variety. this is why i generally choose stores like Wegman's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Harris Teeter.

*i also buy a lot of staple and name brand products from Target. as a smart shopper, it pays to know when to save and when to splurge.

during Snowmageddon, i was stuck in the house for about 5 days straight. with my DVR starting to run low on 1950's musicals, i got in the kitchen and just attacked, making enough food for an army, even though i was just feeding myself. i had meals and dessert for days, but it was fun and half-satisfying, since no one else was there to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

tomato & mushroom whole wheat linguine
basil, tomato, & pancetta farfalle
steak & grits
chicken, tomato, & mango spinach salad with walnuts
my love of food started young. as i've mention before, my earlier birthdays were really just big family dinners at a restaurant of my choosing. each year, i tried to expand my base of restaurants, trying to outdo the year before. my most memorable was my 10th birthday. we went to Red Lobster (tee hee) and i got a lobster tail. it was at this time that i developed a discernable palette. the much hyped lobster did nothing for me, but to it's credit... it was from Red Lobster, which i can't bear to step foot in these days. based on the restaurants i chose, my family would really start to look to me for the that type of experience and i would live to hear from them, "Good choice, Sarah!"
my tenth birthday
from there, i started to get into cooking shows and making meals, learning from some of my family members. i come from a Pot Luck Family. most families i know would, during the holidays, go to one house and that person would host the meal, making almost everything. my family is too large for that. the meals would be hosted at a one house, which would rotate from my grandmother's cozy apartment one year, to my mother's house the next, then my aunt's, and so on... and the host would make the meat, but everyone else would bring their signature dish. my mother makes really good smothered pork chops, one of my aunt makes killer greens and mac & cheese, another aunt can't come unless she brings the ham, and it's not a party until my uncle brings the meatloaf. i have four aunts, one uncle, and a crazy amount of cousins and this is just one side of the family! Christmastime is my favorite. we used to do themes like seafood and Italian.

watching my family members really get into that one dish that they make, you can see the real need to please everyone, making sure everyone gets enough to eat. my older cousin Charlie was probably my biggest inspiration though. he, a trained chef, would bring the culinary to family functions. i would sit and watch and ask questions, so much so that he pulled me into the kitchen and taught me most of what i know about cooking, like flavor balancing and deglazing. whenever he comes over, we get right into the kitchen so he can brag to his latest lady friend about my sous chef skills.

in high school, i really got into Food Network. to this day, i spend my Saturday and Sunday mornings with Ina Garten, Giada, Sunny Anderson, and Guy Fieri. it really inspires me to get in the kitchen and cook, even if it's only for myself. but, i miss cooking for other people. i cooked for my ex a few times, and it was really satisfying when he told me i should quit chemistry for cooking. but, there is also the side of me that is really nervous people won't like my food. contributing to potlucks brings out my insecurities. but, i have to remind myself that it's not about the praise, it's about the passion. i have to cook for pleasure, not for praise.
salmon & rice with roasted brocollini 
cinnamon rubbed lamb chops with
roasted sweet potatoes and mustard green beans
i can't wait for the road trip... it's going to be a 14 day food fest. i have a embarrassingly long list of restaurants to visit in each city, but could use some recommendations, too. Tiffany is all about the sights; i'm all about the food, as usual. but, i plan to use this space to share and swap recipies and restaurant recommendations, so don't be shy about it. i hope you enjoyed the porn quality grainy pictures of food :)
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