In defense of Paula Deen

Poor Paula Deen. That's what I thought when I first heard about the scandal around her revelation that she has diabetes. I watch her show religiously, turn to her cookbooks often, and have a special place in my heart for her delicious accent and chubby cheeks. Maybe its because I hail from Georgia myself and her Southern drawl makes me feel like I'm home again. Maybe its because I know to make her recipes in moderation, and I know to balance them out with healthy foods and a fair amount of exercise. Or maybe its because all of her recipes taste so damn good! Not a single one of her recipes has ever failed me and she's made me look like a rockstar in the kitchen numerous times, and for that I'm forever grateful.

Sure, as a public figure, she probably should have disclosed her condition earlier. Sure, she should probably talk a little more about moderation and throw in some healthier recipes as well. Sure, making money from some pharmaceutical company after all this, that's not so cool either.

But, the Super Bowl was this week - a day of cold beer and good old American indulgence. So, in her honor, I made Paula's Bacon Wrapped Breadsticks. I couldn't find the thick sesame breadsticks her recipe calls for, so I wrapped the bacon around a bundle of skinny ones and then ended up cutting them in half after they cooled, making them almost like little savory bacon lollipops. They were as divine as I could have imagined. Thanks, Paula, for another killer recipe. Now, I'm off to the gym!

The anti food blogger...

In this age of smart phones, we've all probably done it at some point. Taken a photo of our food, that is. I'm guilty of it, aren't you?

Sure, when I'm writing a restaurant review, I often need to sneak a photo or two of my food. Yet other times, when I'm eating out purely for pleasure's sake, I find myself not wanting to photograph my food. See, I don't want to be like those other food bloggers that snap snots of everything they eat. I mean, I can't help but wonder... if I'm so busy trying to photograph my food, am I really enjoying it to the fullest? If I'm busy playing with my phone, can I really be appreciating my company? If I'm so consumed with where I'm going to post the photo of my dinner, and how to present myself in that post, doesn't that take away from the whole experience of going out?

So, here are a few of the things I didn't photograph this week: the delicious blackberry cobbler I made (doing it just the way my mother used to), the perfectly simple, juicy cheeseburger I ate at Mel's Drive In in LA last weekend, and the loaf of apple bread I made with my son on Saturday.

So, last night, when we went to dinner at Tutti's Off Main, I found myself resisting the urge to photograph my food. This was our first real date since the baby was born, so why would I waste even a second of it trying to document it. So, I didn't photograph the delicious tastes of an unusual Merlot the bartender offered us at the bar. I didn't photograph the doughy focaccia fresh out of the brick oven, or the broccoli soup smooth with the flavor of olive oil. I didn't photograph the mussels and clams in a garlic white wine sauce, or the quail stuffed with figs and prosciutto. I didn't take a picture of the pinot noir we enjoyed, or the potato torta on puff pastry. But when Chef Susan (I know her from my food tours) sent us a special dessert from the kitchen...it was too pretty and I couldn't resist snapping a quick photo. Isn't it a looker?

No excuses...

If you could see me now, you'd see my head bent down in shame. I just looked at the date of my last blog posting...August 31st! That's five whole months of non-posts, perhaps a huge shot in the foot, the ultimate lame-0 move in the world of blogging (if you care about any of that). Since the purpose of having a blog is to actually blog, I really have no excuse. Sure, I started my own business, had a new baby, managed to somehow be awake and present for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and get my kids out the door to school on time (lunchboxes packed, hair brushed, teeth brushed, and clothes on right side out - most days) thank you very much.

It was my editor at the VC Reporter who pointed it out to me - why should they post a link to my blog if its really more of a non-blog, a sleeper, an antique blog with a thick coat of dust accumulating on it? There really isn't anything more annoying than going to someone's blog, only to find that they haven't posted in ages. I don't want to be that blogger.

Sure, I thought about letting it go. Blogging doesn't pay and it's just one more thing on my never ending to-do list, right? But the more I thought about it, I realized I don't want it to wither away. And as the idea rolled around in my head this weekend, a few blog posts started to come together in my mind...and as they did, I felt energized. I felt that creative spirit coming back. So here I am, emerging from my sleep-deprived haze, ready to write, post and re-enter the world of blogging and local food happenings again...