Let me start with a great big THANK YOU to the lovely Devaki, author of the terrific food blog "Weave a Thousand Flavors" for tagging me for this, the much coveted "Honest Scrap" award. For those of you in the dark as to the significance of the Honest Scrap (as indeed I was just a few short hours ago), it is an award passed among fellow bloggers in recognition of brilliant or inspiring blog design and content (I'm not entirely convinced that Devaki was clear on this requirement before passing the award along to me and my little band of kitchen slaves…..oh well, it's our now….YIPPEE!).
As there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are a few responsibilities that convey with this award, namely I must:
2. Share "10 Honest Things" about myself (here is where the Holy Scrap! sentiment comes into play)
3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me (given how many great blogs I regularly enjoy, this shouldn't be too hard)
4. Tell those 7 people that they have been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines.
OK…here are 10 "Honest" things about me listed in no particular order of importance, or presumed interest to you (in fact, I am fairly certain you will find little of interest in this list, but hey, rules are rules, so here goes).
1. I can ski fast and steep, but I can't ski bumps very well (boo).
2. I am fairly convinced that I was French in a prior life, though anyone who ever heard me try to speak the language would NEVER believe it.
3. I have been forced to practice an "extreme-macro" style of food photography due to my absolute inability to plate food in a beautiful (or even mildly appealing) way. I must have lost that gene somewhere along the way.
4. I am one of the most reticent people I know….so what the #$%@ am I doing writing a blog? Anyone?…Anyone?….Bueller?….Bueller?
5. I seem to be gradually eliminating all colors but black, white and blue from my wardrobe. I guess you could say that I'm adopting a simplified garanimals approach to dressing.
6. Neal Stephenson and Fyodor Dostoevsky are my favorite authors.
7. I have never had a desire to own a pet. I could maybe own a pig one day….yum, I love pig.
8. I have a "Tea Toe". Perhaps, the least grotesque of my physical deformities, I am referring to the pinky toe on my right foot that appears permanently "cocked" and ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey at the slightest provocation. The result of numerous breaks over the years (the most recent when on vacation with the boys last Spring), this toe, so named because it resembles the extended pinky finger of a well-heeled lady drinking tea, never touches the ground, causing me to produce a funny, four toed footprint with my right foot. There….aren't you glad you know that little piece of trivia about me?
9. I wish I had jumped out of a plane with my friend Jannelle when I was back in high school, because now I think I would be WAY TOO chicken to do it.
10. I wish I could play the guitar like Mark Knopfler, or Pat Metheney, or Jeff Beck, or Eddie Van Halen! I know…I know….I should probably set my sights a little lower, like being able to play like Tiny Tim, or Pee Wee Herman, but I think its important to dream BIG, don't you?
As for 7 bloggers who I think deserve to receive the fame a notoriety that accompany an "Honest Scrap" award, here is my list:
1. Stephane Lemagnen at Zen Can Cook because quite frankly, I love his writing style, sense of humor, and his food totally rocks!
2. Rose Cameron at The Bite Me Kitchen for her thoughtful approach to cooking healthy yet delicious food.
3. Greg Henry a.k.a "Sup" at Sippity Sup for his beautiful photography and diverse culinary interests. I always learn something interesting on his site.
4. My friend Julia Shanks and her wonderful blog Grow.Cook.Eat . Julia has been a great source of inspiration and blog know-how to me, and as a top notch chef, her recipes will leave you drooling.
5. Melissa Camero Ainslie at bitchincamero, not only because of her cool blog name, but for her delicious, inventive, and original "no-nonsense" fare. Her posts are short, sweet, and yummy.
6. Veronique at French Cooking for Dummies because her fabulous blog about French cuisine reminds me of my time spent living in Paris.
7. Amy and Jonny at We are Never Full for their clean site design, clever writing, and great recipes.
OK. My work here is done. I have basked in the glory of the Honest Scrap for a few hours now, passed it on to other worthy recipients, and shared the news of my "Tea Toe" with the world.
Now its time to get back into the kitchen. Cheers!