Gleanings from a Year as a Food Blogger

My ancient laptop sits on the other arm of this (recliner) chair, a comfy perch to plan menus and write blog posts.

My one-year anniversary as a food blogger was a week or so ago. I marked the day with a quick blog post, and a few days later gave away of pair of vintage pans (won by Amy of My Famous Recipe go read her cool blog!) But I still have lots more to say, so get ready for a few more anniversary posts!

Here are a few stray reflections on the past year:

until I became a food blogger, I never thought:
1. I’d be a food blogger
2. It'd make a difference whether our meals were ready while there was still natural light outside
3. I’d buy a plate or bowl for the sole reason that it would look great in photos
4. I’d cook with bacon at least once a week
5. I’d bake with yeast, even once (and now I have a separate bread blog!)
6. I’d buy a coffee grinder just for spices
7. I'd put seeds on top of my rolls and bagels because they'd photograph better

cool things I discovered because I had a food blog:
1. blackberry crumb cake (my #1 favorite recipe discovery this year)
2. the joy of yeast baking
3. that I could prepare foods that I used to dislike and find - sometimes - that I love them now
4. Benton's bacon

my new favorite people:
1. Dorie Greenspan
2. Dan Lepard
3. Peter Reinhart
4. Mark Bittman
5. a small army of my fellow food bloggers

kitchen tasks that used to freak me out (and still do):
1. caramelizing sugar
2. baking in water baths
3. beating egg whites

kitchen tasks that faze me no longer:
1. making bread
2. tempering eggs

drawbacks from my increased time in the kitchen:
1. the mountain of dishes (I've always cooked every day, but now it seems to involve more bowls, pots and pans)
2. the number of times I’ve had to reorganize my kitchen drawers, “pantry” and freezers
3. not wearing my wedding rings because I take them off to knead bread and forget to put them back on.
4. a few stray pounds that showed up and don't want to leave

spiffy new equipment:
1. digital scale
2. coffee grinder just for spices
3. digital thermometer

cool cooking techniques:
1. searing green beans. And greens.
2. braising sweet potatoes
3. vodka pie crust
4. searing meat or fish and finishing it by cooking in oven

things I'd never thought I'd say (but that sound normal to me now):
1. "no, you can't eat that yet because I haven't photographed it"
2. "I had to make this, but we can't eat it, do you want some?"
3. "yes, I made that bread"