Fork Yeah Foodies, a digital magazine that features ‘fabulous foodies,’ interviewed me for a feature spot in their January issue. I am excited to share it with you!
My Journey As A Foodie
While chatting about the various aspects that contributed to my lifetime journey as a ‘foodie’, one theme continued to come through. “The Best Conversations Happen At The Kitchen Table”!
As you will see, in the seven page spread from our interview chat, cooking was an intricate part of my growing up years.
Having grown up in a diverse family – mother was Syrian and father of Scandinavian descent – food brought a huge exposure of culture into my life.
I always felt that cooking brought so much happiness into our home. For me it was always about the cooking more than the eating.
Once I sat down to the table, it seemed I was already filled; filled with something more satisfying than eating.
As A Foodie
Our culinary world, worldwide, has become such a diverse experience that we can be in Japan one day, the Caribbean the next and all without ever leaving our own kitchens.
This was a concept I began to embrace, well into my twenties. Once an adult and living on my own, I loved hosting dinner parties in my little apartment in DC.
Living in the nation’s capital, as a single young woman, exposed me to any, and all cultures I desired to partake in.
Sure, I enjoyed dining out now and then, and DC certainly offered every dining experience you could want.
But, what I enjoyed most was to teach myself to cook foods from various cultures, set the mood, the ambiance, embrace the entire experience, right there in my own place.
Fork and Film
Long before there were cell phones, there were cameras. Not everyone walked around with a camera in their hands, the way we do with our phones, but I often did.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always subscribed to food magazines, watch cookie programs on television (starting with Julia Child), and found happiness in these places. But why?
Don’t you think we indulge in television, books and magazines because we enjoy the momentary escape from our own demanding lives? I do, or at least I did.
And so, I found myself wanting to become a vibrant contributor to inspiring others in their need for an entertaining place to slip away from their lives, now and then.
I don’t photograph because I am a photographer, or publish books and a blog because I am a writer. I am neither and yet I find great happiness and inspiration (Yes, I inspire myself, is that nuts?), in both.
FOOD – As The Object That Gathers People
If I were to take a moment to ponder the various culinary cultures I have had great pleasure embracing, there would be many.
- Middle Eastern – The heritage and food I grew up with.
- Greek – Having grown up Eastern Orthodox, our home pulsated with cultures from various regions. Can you believe I put my first child in Greek school (long before My Big Fat Greek Wedding film), and we both studied the language!
- Italian – The Italian families that adopted and embraced me as a young single mom, when it wasn’t cool to be a young single mom, open another new culture to me. It led to me spending time in Italy, embrace the recipes and study the language.
- Japanese and Korean – My first child is of a Korean father and my second of Japanese, so needless to say, I immersed during those years. Even studied Japanese language for several years.
- Brazil – Once my four children were grown, and before I had a nervous breakdown (LOL), I took a detour in life and moved to Brazil for three years. Brazil is the ultimate in plant medicine, food as medicine and the largest country, outside Africa, with African influenced cuisine. And yes… I learned to speak Portuguese and cook Brazilian food!
- British and Chinese – What? Both rolled into one with a splash of India! A few years ago I married a Brit, who was educated in Kenya, then went on to spend the years in his career in Hong Kong, married to his, now deceased, wife who was both Chinese and East Indian, of which I have become close with her family and learning much about the foods of their culture.
Food is the greatest gatherer of people and therefore the object in which I want to excel in visual storytelling… on television!
“Somebody get this girl a producer and a network!”
Interviews. Media. Storytelling.
Since I stepped into the world of food blogging and cookbook publishing, I’ve had fabulous opportunities to do what I love, on television. Eleven times, to date, to be exact!
The most affective way to inspire others, is most often through media. I suppose it’s because we all spend so much time watching, reading, or listening to individual interests, through media.
In an interview for PBS, while filming The Great American Recipe, I was asked about my interest in cooking. You can listen for yourself, what my answer was in this video clip.
In short, my reply was ‘Cooking is not what I do, it’s who I am’. What that means to me is simple – cooking is the best way I know to express myself to others, and to capture your attention long enough for you to express yourself to me.
Through social media, I have cultivated beautiful friendships in which I become inspired by what they are sharing and they are inspired by what I am doing.
We encourage each other through the comments we leave for each other, regularly. Kind of like, ‘pen pals’ of days-gone-by.
Thanks
Much Thanks To ForkYeahFoodies for the time, talent and inspiration you offered to me in doing this magazine interview. I wish you great success in bringing other Foodie Stories to life.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.