Hey folks, I’ve missed sharing some foodie fun with you these past few weeks. It’s been a whirlwind around here. My recent promotion was a humbling experience and a blessing. It is also a new chapter and a challenge that I look forward to.
After receiving the promotion, I did what any true foodie would do and SPLURGED.
I treated myself and cooked a true surf and turf dinner — a rib-eye steak and lobster tail.
It was a massive and decadent. I savored every bite. After all, I earned it, baby!
I went shopping too. I had to buy a few new outfits as well as get my nails done. Why not? It’s what managers do, right?
Heck I was on cloud nine. It felt great to be recognized and appreciated after years of hard work. And it’s great to work at a place you enjoy being at and the people you’re surrounded by.
But, as I was savoring a new highlight in my life, something happened that shook me and every foodie I know to the core.
World traveler, chef, author, food journalist and story-teller Anthony Bourdain committed suicide June 8, days before his 62nd birthday.
I was floored — blindsided.
Here was this brilliant chef at the peak of his career, a man who united people and cultures through food and conversation around the world. A down-to-earth gifted writer who preferred a little dirt and grit in his routine instead of the glitz and glamour associated with TV stars.
I can only wonder why he did what he did. Ultimately it doesn’t matter. The world is without his brilliant wit and sometimes dry, sarcastic yet always truthful view. Bourdain was the type of foodie and food writer I can only dream to be.
So as a true Bourdain groupie, I honored him with a few toasts from around the world. A few shots of tequila, vodka, sambuca, ouzo, sangria and a good ol’ pint of Guinness and a gallon of tears later, I fell asleep.
In my dream Bourdain and I were walking the streets of Tokyo sampling a variety of food. The next second we were traveling the Amazon River, tasting wines in Italy, having tapas in Spain and running through the streets of Beirut. Everywhere we went we ate, laughed and just enjoyed the moment.
I woke up with the worst hangover I’ve had in years. I mean, OUCH!
But I also felt touched by the whole dream experience. I enjoyed each moment.
Bourdain advocated that people should step out of their comfort zone, travel across a continent or merely a street and experience food and culture while learning about humanity.
I’ve always believed that breaking bread and sharing stories, sometimes with people you don’t know, brings people closer together.
I plan to try to walk a few miles in his big shoes as I continue my foodie journeys. I’m excited to see where it takes me.
You can’t live in the past, you can only treasure memories. You can’t live in the future. It hasn’t happened yet. Live in the present and cherish that moment with food and stories.
“Your body is not a temple: It’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” — Anthony Bourdain
After receiving the promotion, I did what any true foodie would do and SPLURGED.
I treated myself and cooked a true surf and turf dinner — a rib-eye steak and lobster tail.
It was a massive and decadent. I savored every bite. After all, I earned it, baby!
I went shopping too. I had to buy a few new outfits as well as get my nails done. Why not? It’s what managers do, right?
Heck I was on cloud nine. It felt great to be recognized and appreciated after years of hard work. And it’s great to work at a place you enjoy being at and the people you’re surrounded by.
But, as I was savoring a new highlight in my life, something happened that shook me and every foodie I know to the core.
World traveler, chef, author, food journalist and story-teller Anthony Bourdain committed suicide June 8, days before his 62nd birthday.
I was floored — blindsided.
Here was this brilliant chef at the peak of his career, a man who united people and cultures through food and conversation around the world. A down-to-earth gifted writer who preferred a little dirt and grit in his routine instead of the glitz and glamour associated with TV stars.
I can only wonder why he did what he did. Ultimately it doesn’t matter. The world is without his brilliant wit and sometimes dry, sarcastic yet always truthful view. Bourdain was the type of foodie and food writer I can only dream to be.
So as a true Bourdain groupie, I honored him with a few toasts from around the world. A few shots of tequila, vodka, sambuca, ouzo, sangria and a good ol’ pint of Guinness and a gallon of tears later, I fell asleep.
In my dream Bourdain and I were walking the streets of Tokyo sampling a variety of food. The next second we were traveling the Amazon River, tasting wines in Italy, having tapas in Spain and running through the streets of Beirut. Everywhere we went we ate, laughed and just enjoyed the moment.
I woke up with the worst hangover I’ve had in years. I mean, OUCH!
But I also felt touched by the whole dream experience. I enjoyed each moment.
Bourdain advocated that people should step out of their comfort zone, travel across a continent or merely a street and experience food and culture while learning about humanity.
I’ve always believed that breaking bread and sharing stories, sometimes with people you don’t know, brings people closer together.
I plan to try to walk a few miles in his big shoes as I continue my foodie journeys. I’m excited to see where it takes me.
You can’t live in the past, you can only treasure memories. You can’t live in the future. It hasn’t happened yet. Live in the present and cherish that moment with food and stories.
“Your body is not a temple: It’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” — Anthony Bourdain