30 Days of Gratitude Day 9 - My food Community

If I had to sit down and list all the amazing food people I have met either on-line or here in Austin, this post would go on forever. The food community in Austin has been my saving grace on more occasions then I can shake a stick at. This unique community of people has opened their arms and embraced me and my passion for exploring cultures and food on a daily basis. I have formed some amazing friendships with these people. I am humbled every time I reach out to them with questions or ask them to help in a cause because they don't hesitate to respond. You know when you meet people that just "get" your passion? Well, that is it in a nutshell for me - from the very first food blogger potluck that I attended a couple of summers ago to the anniversary food swap I went to last night. I have to say I am more than blessed by this community. Thanks to Facebook, I have also met cookbook writers and food fanatics and enjoyed conversations with them about food and cultures without ever meeting them face-to-face. Food people are creative, loving, inspirational and generally amazing! A person who has a true passion for food will not keep their secrets bottled up. They want to share with you and encourage you to be as passionate about food as they are. It's more than just feeding your body, it's about feeding your soul too. Whenever I get a new cookbook, the first thing I do is go straight to the forward because I want to know as much as I can about the author. It's the same way when I meet a food blogger, chef, or even that terrific home cook that lives across the street. They all share the same passion for exploring food and I am forever grateful for that. So next time you are invited to someone's house for dinner and they serve this amazing dish, don't just say "Wow! This is delish!" Instread, take a moment and ask about the dish and how they got the recipe because chances are you will probably walk away with a new recipe, the spark of passion to recreate it yourself, and a little more gratitude in your stomach I'm jus' sayin'!

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."
~ Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti





"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are."
~ Adelle Davis

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
~ Virginia Woolf

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
~ Harriet Van Horne