30! 30! 30!

Last year I turned 30 years old.  The movies and sitcoms out there typically portray this stepping stone as a downhill spiral into wrinkles, old age, and "nothing left to live for" syndrome.  However, deep down I know that I'm better now that I'm 30 than I was in my twenties.  More knowledge has absorbed into my intricate brain.  More experience has absorbed into my resilient bones.  And more confidence has absorbed into my hungry soul.

By now, I was working at a local environmental company writing technical report and doing some marketing things.  It would sound fancy if I went into more detail and it always impressed people when I was met with that horrid, teeth-cringing question, "What do you do?"  But something about it felt very empty.  Everyday I would walk into an office and dread it whenever I clicked on the computer.

So my only solace from that daily 8-hour stint (other than my family and friends, of course!)  was that I would walk into my kitchen and the ideas swirled in my head regarding what would be on the menu for dinner that night.  The mountain of cookbooks lining my desks and walls were like portals into a world I knew I could belong to.  That led to me quitting my day job and my enrollment in culinary classes at the local community college.  The fancy-pantsy culinary schools were financially out of reach for me, but I'm sure they're worthwhile (despite the price tag, OUCH!)  To keep my bills at bay, I took a part time job on a food truck and have been slinging bratwursts and sliders for the masses every since.  Learning about this new food trend is pretty cool, too.

I'm hoping to hone my skills by keeping up with this blog.  I watched a recent Ted Talks video regarding how doing something for 30 days is a good way to start good habits and to stick with them.  So I'm hoping to try a new recipe for the next 30 days and the sky's the limit!

Either it be from one of my cooking volumes or my cooking textbook, I look forward to discover new flavors, new ingredients, and creating beautiful dishes.  I hope this blog inspires you as much as food inspires me.