Like many, I have always loved the entire process of planning, preparing and presenting food for friends and neighbors. My sources of inspiration come from taking in the thousands of cooking magazines I have purchased over the years, from reading the hundreds of cookbooks I have collected, from reading the food blogs of others, from eating in restaurants, from watching some of my favorite chefs on television, from the few cooking classes I have taken, and maybe most importantly, from the memories of great meals in the homes of friends.
Nothing gives me more pleasure than making memorable meals for others or just making gifts of food. Okay, maybe there are a few other things that bring pleasure to my life. But seriously, my passion for baking and cooking rank pretty high on the list.
I am of the age where I remember Martha Stewart having 'holiday' specials on television. She and her magazine turned me into a collector of beautiful dishes, glassware and all sorts of baking tools. Then came Ina Garten and the simplicity of white plates with beautiful napkins gave me yet another canvas option on which to serve food. I have convinced myself over the years that a beautifully set table turns an ordinary meal into an extraordinary meal as a way to justify my continued purchases of plates, platters, glassware, and napkins. Yes, I rationalize most everything.
For years I have thought about creating a blog where I can share recipes, stories, photos and some of the things I have learned about cooking. Life distractions and changes have kept me from turning my thoughts into a reality. Thank goodness I finally had the epiphany that those things will always be in my sometimes chaotic life. So the time has now come for me to push myself to move forward with creating a space to combine a few of my passions. Salted Sugared Spiced™ is a work in progress as I am certain that it will evolve as I do. Finally this new journey begins.