A La Cuisine!

Miss Gla'Gla, you’re so fine and delicious (IMBB 16)

It was love at first sight.  Her slim, gorgeous figure set against her flowing raspberry highlights.  And everyone simply knew her as “Miss Gla'Gla.”   

Okay, so I haven't fallen for a girl with a funny name, but I am smitten with Pierre Hermé's macaron ice cream sandwich that’s called Miss Gla’Gla.   The first time I saw it on Pim's blog, I just knew I had to make it.  I love macarons and I love ice cream sandwiches.  So Pierre Hermé, if you’re reading this, I think you’re a genius for combining the two.  (And seriously M. Hermé, if you actually do read my blog, I would be more than happy to share my thoughts on your other creations, if you would kindly send me some samples.)

Today marks the 16th edition of Is My Blog Burning? hosted by the ever stylish Viv of Seattle Bon Vivant.  The theme is eggs, which is perfect, because yolks are essential for making rich and smooth ice cream, and whites are responsible for the volume and shape of macarons.  Seeing that I didn’t have an actual recipe for the Miss Gla’Gla, I decided to use three flavours that I’ve come to love.

SHF 9: A Pair of Pears and a Chocolate Disaster

Whether I fail or succeed, I've come to think of food blogging events as opportunities to experiment.  Besides forcing me to try preparations and ingredients that I otherwise wouldn’t use, events like Sugar High Fridays and Is My Blog Burning? also give me an excuse to attempt recipes that are too complex and time-consuming for everyday cooking.  Unlike dinner parties, the time constraints for blogging events are more flexible, and the pressure to present something that’s both perfect and impressive just isn’t there.  That's not to say that I won't 'try' to make something that’s impressive and perfect, but I’d much rather fail at making something ambitious, than succeed at something that’s easy and uninspiring.

One of the things I like most about food blogs is that they’re driven more by process and content, than results and audience.  If you want to read about someone’s triumphs and failures in hosting an elaborate dinner party, food blogs are the place to go.  But if you want to read an article about throwing the 'Perfect Christmas Dinner Party' that’s aimed at middle-income North American households with standard kitchen equipment, who are most comfortable with ‘safe’ recipes that use easy-to-find ingredients, then food magazines would probably be a better fit.

MEME - The Cook Next Door!

It’s funny how we all come from different cultures, generations, and religions, yet we all share an incredible passion for food.  Our collective obsession with food brings us together, while the dissimilarities in our lives makes each of us unique and interesting.  It’s what I like most about food blogs - everyone has their own stories to tell, their own style of cooking, and areas of expertise. 

I was delighted when Nicky and Oliver from Delicious Days recently introduced their food meme: The Cook Next Door!  It’s an exciting chance to learn a bit more about our favourite food bloggers - who they are, and what’s brought them to where they are today.

Yesterday, I was thrilled when I was chosen by Chefdoc of A Perfect Pear to take part in the meme.  So without further delay, here are a few (hopefully interesting) things about me.

Back to Blogging

"You should really update your blog, just so everyone knows you're not dead," said my food-obsessed friend.  Inspired by her words of wisdom, I've finally managed to post an entry after months of neglect and false starts. 

I apologize to everyone I’ve ignored during the past few months.  The e-mails and comments have been piling up, and I’ve been awful at answering them.  It’s what I feel the most terrible about, since I really do appreciate everyone who visits my blog, and especially anyone who takes the time to write to me.  I should be caught up in a few days, and now I hope that I can make a new attempt at getting my blog back on track.   

I wish I could tell you that I’ve just arrived home after spending the past two months traveling around the world, but alas, I’ve been in Toronto all along, working on getting my business off the ground, and ignoring my food blog.  Getting more balance in my life is something I’ve been working on for a while, but have yet to achieve.  Ideally, I’d like to have the discipline to wake up early, exercise, work, cook, blog, and still have time to waste.  But more often than not, I’ll spend most of my day on one thing, and not leave enough time for much else.