On Blogging
I believe that given the chance,everyone would press pause. We live in a too-fast world; we interface, we tweet, we text. We walk down the street and close ourselves off with iPods. Instead of taking a breather, we grab what's fastest and easiest for lunch. At night we anesthetize ourselves by watching people on TV with awful fake tans yell and hit each other. We forget that rosemary and thyme make everything smell terrific, sugar and spice makes everything nice, and nothing is as pleasurable as the company of those we love.
If I can remind people of the pleasure of herbs and spices, I’d be pleased. If I can convince people that food and cooking are manifestations of love, I’d be thrilled. And when I write something that touches a reader enough to stop, breathe, and boil water even just once a week… I’m fulfilled.
I can’t help but wonder if Pauline and Olga felt the same way. After I started blogging, I discovered that two of my great, great grandmothers wrote about food: Olga wrote about entertaining and Pauline, a journal of her struggles keeping kosher in South Africa during the turn of the last century. I’d always heard that Olga was an endlessly elegant woman and Pauline was an amazing cook and that’s all I knew. But my new found link to these women in my own history makes my journey through blogging that much more important: no longer an indulgence, I’m now continuing a tradition. I’m writing book on entertaining and recording my food journal one blog entry at a time.
As a child, I traveled around the world with my parents. No matter where we were, whether it was a beach shack in Guadeloupe or a three star restaurant in Spain, my father would say: “You don’t have to like it …” and my mother would finish with “ … but you have to try it.” And almost everywhere we went people would say, “That young child is eating that?” Yes, that young child ate squid ink pasta at five, calamari a la plancha at six, raw fish at about seven,and sweetbreads at eight. The best, however, was when a four-year-old me declared that the only egg I ever intended to eat again, was caviar.
My 3rd Birthday
But after a long day at work, followed by a longcommute on the subway, am I really going to make cayenne-spiced, bacon-wrapped bonbons, or suggest that my readers do? No, probably not. I share recipes with my readers that I hope they will actually be inspired to make. (Hmm,cayenne-spiced, bacon-wrapped bonbons…)
I see my blog as a love letter: to my parents for encouraging me to become who I am; to my friends for laughing with me and asking for seconds; to my readers, all of whom I would invite over to dinner in a heartbeat; and finally, to my husband, without whom this blog would be a boring, unattractive, anemic thing.
I cook, I write, I live, and love in Brooklyn. And that’s not just somewell-alliterated sentence; it’s a truth that I hold onto dearly. With this blog, I invite people into my kitchen to share my life. I hope my readers find that moment to pause and delight in the people and foods around them.
Somewhere, Olga and Pauline are setting a table and kneading dough. They’re with me, nodding in approval, as I record my own culinary history and share it with the world.
Great Grandmother Olga
Great Grandmother PaulineLooking for a Post?
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Recent Posts
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Because Homemade is Better 05-31-2012 -
Green Market Goodies, Part 2 05-13-2012 -
I’m Halfway There! 05-04-2012 -
Green Market Goodies, Part 1 05-01-2012 -
A Quick Brunch 04-16-2012 -
Guest Blogging This Week 04-10-2012
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Our Anniversary Dinner 04-01-2012 -
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Favorite Posts
Foodie Blogs I Love
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- Food Porn Daily
- Gabriella's Kitchen
- Hapa Bento
- Hot Polka Dot
- In the Kitchen & on the Road with Dorie
- Kitchen Scraps
- Lorna Sass at Large
- Love Menu
- No Recipes
- One Perfect Bite
- Orangette
- Rambling Tart
- Sea Salt with Food
- Taste of Beruit
- Tea & Cookies
- The Bitten Word
- The Cilantropist
- Three Many Cooks
- You Fed a Baby Chili?
Other Blogs I Love
Resources
- All Recipes.com
- Asian Food Grocer
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- Epicurious
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- Martha Stewart
- Salt Traders
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my parents had the same philosophy – and I follow it still to this day – try everything once
very touching and beautiful story…life is too fast-paced….love your comparisons to food…much luck!
I absolutely adore this post, Elisabeth. So beautiful, heart-warming, touching, inspiring, everything.
I love learning about your past, what has shaped you. It makes your other posts make even more sense. 
Thank you!
Wow – this post made me both hungry and teary all at once. This is a beautiful homage to your family and friends, and it is so true – without the people we love the food we consume is nothing more than fuel. It is the time shared that makes it so sweet (or savory, as the case may be)!
I love Brooklyn, and I love this post.
A wonderful post and a great introduction to who you are as a blogger! You're writing is beautiful and heartfelt.
Thank you for sharing your life. I look forward to reading more. I will be posting my project food buzz entry tomorrow. Check it out and let me know what you think.Ashleewww.ashandlewplus2.com
I was a fussy eater as a kid and didn't like my mom's cooking, but now that I'm older, I appreciate most of those foods I rejected. My one regret is that I didn't pay attention and can't easily recreate my mother's recipes.
A wonderful, thoughtful post. Happy competing! As an aside, have you by any chance read 97 Orchard? I think you might enjoy it.
What a beautiful post and tribute to both of your great grandmas! You have my vote – best of luck!
I really enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing!
(I tried to post before, but not sure if it went through..)I really enjoyed reading this post–thank you for sharing.
Beautiful post. What wonderful experiences you had as a kid. Amazing! Best of luck to you in the competition!
makes me want to come to Brooklyn!love you,Susan
Stunning entry – I loved it.
I heart you, lots and lots. I miss sharing mussels with you. Soon? Pretty please?-Kindall
Lovely, well-written entry. I want to see more. You've got one of my votes.
Wow, this is an absolutely gorgeous post!!! What a wonderful gift you have for writing! BEST of luck in PFB! Voted!!
You had me at the first line. And I can guarantee I'll be back for more
That was just lovely…your writing is as delicious as your food.
I don't know your blog (yet) but was enticed through the Project Food Blog to visitand glad I did. I will go back and vote. The philosophy sings!
Of all the blogs I read, I found this one the most evocative and moving. It wasn't just "all about me" and really answers the question of why yours should yours should be the best food blog. I loved it. You have my vote!Sarahjane
What a lovely piece! Beautifully written and very personal–transported me to a different place for sure. Thanks for the vote and right back at 'cha! Good luck!
I LOVE this post! I think your attitude towards cooking and writing is spot on. if we can convince just one person that it's worth it to step away from the McDonalds. well. Then. It's all worth it. So voting for you! if you have time and want to check out my entry, that would be awesome! http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2010/09/mexican-sweet-potato-risotto-project.html
this is a lovely sentiment. great voice..thank you!
I just found your blog this morning…and I am loving it! My husband and I have such a fondness for Brooklyn, and the header on your blog is just beautiful! I voted for you…and I look forward to reading more of your work!
26 comments
my parents had the same philosophy – and I follow it still to this day – try everything once
very touching and beautiful story…life is too fast-paced….love your comparisons to food…much luck!
I absolutely adore this post, Elisabeth. So beautiful, heart-warming, touching, inspiring, everything.
I love learning about your past, what has shaped you. It makes your other posts make even more sense. 
Thank you!
Wow – this post made me both hungry and teary all at once. This is a beautiful homage to your family and friends, and it is so true – without the people we love the food we consume is nothing more than fuel. It is the time shared that makes it so sweet (or savory, as the case may be)!
I love Brooklyn, and I love this post.
A wonderful post and a great introduction to who you are as a blogger! You're writing is beautiful and heartfelt.
Thank you for sharing your life. I look forward to reading more. I will be posting my project food buzz entry tomorrow. Check it out and let me know what you think.Ashleewww.ashandlewplus2.com
I was a fussy eater as a kid and didn't like my mom's cooking, but now that I'm older, I appreciate most of those foods I rejected. My one regret is that I didn't pay attention and can't easily recreate my mother's recipes.
A wonderful, thoughtful post. Happy competing! As an aside, have you by any chance read 97 Orchard? I think you might enjoy it.
What a beautiful post and tribute to both of your great grandmas! You have my vote – best of luck!
I really enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing!
(I tried to post before, but not sure if it went through..)I really enjoyed reading this post–thank you for sharing.
Beautiful post. What wonderful experiences you had as a kid. Amazing! Best of luck to you in the competition!
makes me want to come to Brooklyn!love you,Susan
Stunning entry – I loved it.
I heart you, lots and lots. I miss sharing mussels with you. Soon? Pretty please?-Kindall
Lovely, well-written entry. I want to see more. You've got one of my votes.
Wow, this is an absolutely gorgeous post!!! What a wonderful gift you have for writing! BEST of luck in PFB! Voted!!
You had me at the first line. And I can guarantee I'll be back for more
That was just lovely…your writing is as delicious as your food.
I don't know your blog (yet) but was enticed through the Project Food Blog to visitand glad I did. I will go back and vote. The philosophy sings!
Of all the blogs I read, I found this one the most evocative and moving. It wasn't just "all about me" and really answers the question of why yours should yours should be the best food blog. I loved it. You have my vote!Sarahjane
What a lovely piece! Beautifully written and very personal–transported me to a different place for sure. Thanks for the vote and right back at 'cha! Good luck!
I LOVE this post! I think your attitude towards cooking and writing is spot on. if we can convince just one person that it's worth it to step away from the McDonalds. well. Then. It's all worth it. So voting for you! if you have time and want to check out my entry, that would be awesome! http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2010/09/mexican-sweet-potato-risotto-project.html
this is a lovely sentiment. great voice..thank you!
I just found your blog this morning…and I am loving it! My husband and I have such a fondness for Brooklyn, and the header on your blog is just beautiful! I voted for you…and I look forward to reading more of your work!
The comments are closed.