52 Weeks, 52 Cookbooks

After a year hiatus from writing, I've decided that I'm going to challenge myself. My challenge - 52 weeks, 52 cookbooks.

Way back when Friendster was old, but MySpace was new, I had looked at my cookbook collection and realized that I had purchased quite a few cookbooks, but never had cooked out of them. They were pretty and fat with ideas of culinary delights, but there were only a handful that I had ever actually cooked out of. I decided then to cook one thing (at least) out if every cookbook I owned. 

The same rings true today. My original challenge has never been met but I feel that since my cookbook selection has more than tripled since then, it's even more important to say that I have honestly used all the cookbooks I own.

Now, with 200+ cookbooks and half in storage, I think that might be a hearty challenge for someone who has been thinking about this for 8+ years. So, so I amend my challenge and add writing about it.

52 weeks, 52 cookbooks 

I have 2 shelves in my living room that are loving adorned with 67 of my most beautiful and favorite cookbooks and still, I have only cooked out of less than a quarter of them, much to the chagrin if my husband. 

With the addition if 6 new cookbooks I received for Christmas and the one other one I still plan to buy, I will pick 52 cookbooks I have not cooked from and try something new each week.  For better or worse, I will share pictures, recipes and experiences with you.

The 6 new Christmas 2012 additions - now... where to put them?

#52cookbooks

Next Adventure - Professional Food Writing Course

I work at a college for my day job.  This has certain benefits - Summer Fridays off, "student" discounts, and, of course, free classes.  The school I work at is known for it's arts and social awareness curriculum.  I took an interior design course (to help me actually decorate our apartment) but that was for students a bit more serious than I.

That was Fall of 2009.  With an engagement, wedding, and LOTS of work, I had not jumped back into the classroom.  This was until I looked further into our Food Studies program.  I'm not so interested in sustainable farming, but I did find a few day courses that intrigued me.  There was a class about launching and marketing your specialty food product and two classes that had to do with writing and publishing - one about professional food writing and the other about getting a cookbook published.  They were amazing and helped me to realize that: A. I love food and talking about food, and B. I could do any of the above and be successful at it (I think).

I have had this blog living a thin life for the past 3 years, and though I love it, had not had the discipline nor direction to truly make it something.  In comes a full 15 session course on professional food writing from the Food Studies program. Though I loved my 1 day classes that gave me a bit of knowledge and know-how, this was the opportunity to learn from those that are in the business (and are successful at it) and almost more importantly, practice by force writing every week 2-3 times (and more, I hope). 

This is the long explanation of the short statement - you can look forward to reading my homework assignments and following me on my journey to get publish (and get paid - that's the goal!).

Now for kudos - my professor's name is Andrew F. Smith and has been in the business for years.  Here are links to his two most recent releases:

• Starving the South: How the North Won the Civil War 
• Potato: A Global History (Reaktion Books - Edible)

If you want to follow me on my journey, I would suggest obtaining the following 2 books (most of my assignments are in these books, so I'll talk about the a lot):

• Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More (Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Blogs,)
• Best Food Writing 2010

And now a toast - Here's to new adventures, being good at them, and getting paid for them (maybe...one day...)

Non-Food Foodie?

Wikipedia defines foodie as "an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink." It continues by saying "Foodies differ from gourmets in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste who may or may not be professionals in the food industry, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news."


I think of Foodie as someone who sits around a table with skinny friends talking about escargot and the 1998 (insert high end - aka expensive - wine) with wine glass in hand and pinkie in the air. Don't get me wrong, I envy those people their knowledge and pinkie-ness (and skinny-ness), but it's not how I see me.


So, what is a Non-Foodie Foodie? It's some one who fits the published definition of a food obsessed amateur who's a size 16, New York wine drinking, lavender cookie and rosemary bread making, Weight Watchers failure, thirty-something event planner who can be seen at the 21 Club one night and Pizza Hut the next (OK, 21 is expensive and Pizza Hut is cheap - you do the math).


I consider myself a step or two higher in the kitchen than the average home cook, but still compete at the amateur level. I think those that have eaten my food would agree plus I have a few blue ribbons under my belt and a few food articles in the portfolio.


So, why am I here? As any good student, I want to continue to grow and learn. Plus, why not? As I continue my culinary journey through life, I can talk about my favorite chefs, great recipes, and share my thoughts on food and restaurants. It also allows me to hear what others have to say and learn from what they know. Going back to the definition from Wikipedia, I want to learn everything about food!