when i was a little girl my mama would let me cook all by myself. (and i’m sure wish she had a video camera as i prentended to host my own cooking show talking into the backsplash as if if were a camera… and did they even have cookie shows in the 80’s? man, i was onto something early!!  i should have started the foodnetwork!)

talk about a brave lady.

she taught me to clean as i cook (um… i think i’ve forgotten that one, or gotten really used to brandon doing that for me)

to understand a recipe, but my tastes as well- and to go with my taste in the end.

i grew up eating simple food- simple southern food.

i learned in college that most of what i cooked was “poor folks food”… but i always thought we ate like kings (or at least nobles of some sort!)

through out college i cooked my family staples for roommates, neighbors, friends, and family- loving every single dish.

and really, now that i look back- thinking my likes were pretty versatile.

enter- Duetschland.

when brandon and i moved to Germany we made a commitment to enjoy the culture, eat the food, drink the spirits, and love the people.

i never said no to a bite of anything that was passed my way.

and i meticulasly went through every variety of bread, cheese, and unknown anything that i found at the market.

there were many times i had to write down the German word and then go home and google the translation so i would actually know what i was eating.

there was an hour a day that an american cooking show came on and i watched it every chance i got.

brandon left for Iraq three weeks after my arrival, so i had a lot of time on my hands.

aside from the apparent food differences in the southern food i was accustomed to eating and cooking there was another factor of experience that i hadnn’t counted on.

there were americans living in Germany from all over North America- and many had lived many other places in the world.

i will never forget the first thanksgiving dinner i shared with a group of 14 women who’s husbands were also in iraq- hosted by a Amy and Dave, a sweet couple living in Germany- we all brought a “family favorite”- i brought chantilly rice (it’s a holiday must i will share this holiday season) and “beans in a blanket” (green beans wrapped in bacon covered with brown sugar and bacon… i know, right?… sweet goodness!!)- i was so looking forward to the dressing and turkey (i hadn’t ever made the dressing in my mama’s kitchen, that was HER job) i arrived to find a strange white/pale concoction that was called dressing- when i asked what was in it- i was appauled to discover that “people up north” use white bread in their dressing- WHAT, NO CORNBREAD? i had a spoonful of everything and loved hearing why each dish was a must for their holiday celebration.  i realized then every single dinner i would share would be an adventure in food.

i was asked a hundred different times “do you eat…? have you ever had…? don’t you love…?”  more times than not, i had never even tasted what was so enjoyed by many.  i quickly adopted the phrase, “actually, i’ve never had that, but i’ll try anything!”

my world was changed forever.

every village, cafe, trip, resteraunt, afternoon drive, morning coffee, trip to the market, walk downtown- was filled with flavors that would change the way we ate forever.

i began to love, enjoy, respect, and consider food in a whole new light.

the foods and tastes that i’ve come to cherish come from every corner of the globe.

everywhere we went we tried something new- most of the time i would ask the owner of the resteraunt (you can do this in small villages, because most of the time they are at a table with their friends and some vino) what they had for dinner… and i would ask for that.   more times than not my plate wasn’t even on the menu.

one particular trip my girlfriends and i took to a little island called Sardegna- we ate a beautiful little restaraunt on the wall of the island- i asked the waitor what i should have… he excitedly declared “Pescado! it was in the ocean this morning, and will be on your plate tonight!” the girls with me had spaghetti bolognese- (spaghetti with meatsauce) and i knew some kind of fish was coming to my plate that was swimming earlier- and it would be served with a spicy pasta dish- my dish was filled with muscles, scallops, squid (never had that before!), and all kinds of other creatures- it was HEAVENLY. i would never had ordered it if that man would have described it in english- NEVER.

one of my favorite, FAVORITE parts of living/cooking in Germany for four years was the market- fresh, organic, natural, in season, beautiful produce every single day- and poultry and meat that you wouldn’t even believe.  i will never forget the first time i cooked chicken from the market- i had never smelt anything like that.  needless to say- it had a little bit of room to roam about while it was still clucking.

when we moved back to America i had a really tough time- as in REALLY TOUGH TIME.

i almost had a nervous breakdown in HEB- really, a little lady stopped to see if i was ok.

i still go to the grocery store very little and know exactly what i’m going to get when i get there- but something has happened to me.

in one year.

(it’s been a year exactly since we got back)

i’ve settled.

i’ve gotten really lazy.

i’ve started cooking faster meals for my family- instead of the slow ones that i learned to love so dearly.

i grab ingredients i need instead of taking the time to see what is there, in season, and making a dish around what is freshest.

i’ve forsaken my compost pile- and wasted more than i have in the last 5 years of my life.

yuck.

we spent the day at my mama’s today and she cooked a feast- and not typical southern feast either- you see, her horizon’s have been expanded as well- and as she dives into new flavors- she shares them with us- as any sweet mama would do.

as i poured over the greatest green beans, the best roasted potato salad i’ve ever had, and pork loin (now that i not something i would never order), and a wonderful salad (with fresh, homemade dressing)- i was reminded of how much i love food- and how great it is to put though, love, and care into the dishes that you prepare.

i watched the food network, poured over cook books, cooking magazines, and new ideas- and thought to myself- i can change this.  i can get back to this.

i watched Gourmet’s diary of a foodie as i folded laundry and decided that tomorrow i would cook a great meal- i think it might be a funny combo of “poor folks food” and German cuisine- i’m sure my crew will love it.

all of this is really stirring ideas in me after disovering baked bree cooking blog i am beside myself.  i can’t wait to look through her archives… the photography and styling is fantastic- and let me tell you- i don’t know if you have ever tried to photograph as you cook- step-by-step… it’s a job!!  she does a brilliant job and eats pretty fantastic food- so i can’t wait to check it all out.  i hope you do too… and enjoy it!

i just realized i just wrote about food for way too long… now my stomach is growing… vicious cycle!

here is to the beauty of food… and to sweet people who share how they make things look so great!! (this image is from the photography page of her the Baked Bree Blog!)

if you would like to read a blog about local farming, natural, and healthy living- check out the Yonderway Farm site- Ironically my city-girl college roommate (who i served deep fried everything with potato’s and cheese to almost daily) is the wife of a Farmer (who happens to be and old friend to brandon and me… i know… it’s a long, sweet story) they are raising grass fed pork, beef, chicken, and gardening for a village- i learn a TON from Lynsey- if you are interested… check out How they roll over at Yonderway Farms!