I’m out. Project Food Blog is over for me. It was one of the craziest things I ever did and I don’t regret it (I don’t think). In fact, I sort of surprised myself because I started this competition absolutely sure I would not win. I am not sure I even wanted to win. I mean aside from the money. But please notice I did not say I wasn’t competitive. I am competitive, but there is a difference between competing for competition sake and competing to win.
But as the contest went on and I kept moving forward, I started to notice that maybe, just maybe I wanted to win. It didn’t define me. It didn’t change my blog. But I noticed it. Then I got past the baking round, which seemed like a miracle to me. Not only did I start wanting to win. I started to think I could win!
That’s where I dropped the ball. That’s where I got off track. Because the minute I digested the news that I was not to be among the top three, my first thought was not that the contest was ending. But Sippity Sup was ending. I couldn’t imagine how I could continue it. Because in that moment it seemed to me to be permanently broken.
But then one of my most enduring memories popped into my brain seemingly out of nowhere. It is of my mother standing on one leg like a flamingo in our suburban Michigan kitchen about 1972. I’m just a shy guy in grade school. Hanging out in my mother’s kitchen– trying to avoid the neighborhood kids and their entirely too serious games of pick up football or basketball.
I don’t know if her stance was some throwback to her childhood ballet, or if she just found this pose comfortable. But there she was standing in the kitchen left foot crooked up and resting just above the right knee. Forming her legs into a perfect representation of the number 4. She’s leaning over the counter (still on one leg) reading a book. That book is Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Long before Julie Powell began to teach herself to cook by blogging her way through this classic, my mother had decided to master the art of French cooking on her own, with no audience (save me), and Julia Child was indeed her muse.
My mother loved to cook. No matter how much she complained about it. I mean here she was, a busy wife and mother with all kinds of obligations I can only imagine, taking the time to read a cookbook. And I mean reading it like a novel. I had never seen anyone do that with a cookbook before.
Most of the kids I grew up with did not venture beyond meat and potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs, or mac and cheese. But that was not my experience, or at least the sum total of my experience. We ate everything. I mean considering the times, my brother, sister and I were kids with pretty sophisticated palates.
But my mother could also be a bit of a pop princess. She dressed like Mary Richards (she and Mary had the same figure). She rocked to the Eagles, Elton John and Queen. To my pre-pubescent horror, my mother wore bikinis (other mothers did not wear bikinis)!
She was “with-it” in other ways too, even when it came to food. High trends (sake, sushi, fondue, Cuisinart) and even low trends (Jell‑O salad, smiley face cookies, crunchy tacos, the Joe Namath popcorn popper) none escaped my mother’s attention and curiosity. Hence we kids were exposed to all of this as well. Yes, even sake.
What I am trying to say is you don’t realize the imprint these things make on you. I mean, there I was just a kid watching my mother read a cookbook so I could avoid team sports and the beginnings of a long thread were being formed. It takes time and requires some distance, but eventually, you’ll understand that the thread was left for you to pick up and follow. If you are able to knit that thread into the fabric of your life then you’ll know what happiness is.
I come to this place in my life and this blog after doing so many other things, both professionally and personally. Before this contest, if someone had asked me why I started a blog about food I’d have probably answered, “I sort of fell into it”. But this contest has helped me see that this is simply not true. I had been preparing for it since I was a small boy.
I think my mother would have gotten a kick out of my blog. But like an old school journalist or some modern day chefs, she may not have particularly liked it; or even blogs in general. She was a woman of strong opinions. Though I’m sure I’d disagree with her, and say so (I am a man of strong opinions). Sadly I am left only to imagine what she might say. She passed away in 1993. Long before I ever saw the thread she left for me that led me to this blog.
Now while it’s true that I am disappointed to be eliminated in the writing round. The one round I felt most at ease in. I have to remember that blogs are funny things. Because there are certainly better cooks than me who left the contest before I did. There are better writers and there are better photographers too. Still, I am proud of myself and of the skills that brought me to this place today.
I do want to say something about what I might have done in the final round. Because I had given it some thought. And without being too dramatic (or disrespectful) I have to compare it to a beloved still-born child. So, rather than mourn its passing I thought I’d honor it with a few words.
You see, I love the unexpected. So for my final post, I considered boiling an egg. I can imagine the lovely spare photos I might have done. I can see the prose– short and sweet and just my style.
It would have been a humorous post. I might have started with the phrase “he can’t even boil an egg”! There is so much irony in that statement. Because of all the ways you can cook an egg, boiling an egg takes the most finesse. It’s easier to teach a cat to bark than it is to create a perfect soft-boiled egg. By perfect I mean that the egg has to have a white that is completely cooked– and a warm, oozing generous yolk. You need to know just the right moment to pull that egg from the boiling water. Too soon and you’ll find a nauseating mass of barely congealed, translucent jelly and a cold, sick yolk; too long and you’re halfway to hard-boiled without actually getting there. Sure it’s edible, but it’s not perfect.
Perfection starts with a fresh, but not too fresh egg. That egg needs to be 70 degrees. Now the last time I checked, an egg has neither mouth nor sphincter, so getting a thermometer into that baby is a rather difficult task. But my research tells me this is where you must begin.
But I didn’t get much further in my research because as I was standing in my kitchen, leaning over a cookbook, reading about eggs. I looked down and saw a thread. A bright red thread. Now how did that get there? Naturally, I picked it up and began to follow it.
Well as you have probably guessed it didn’t lead to a boiled egg or the final round of this contest. But, I can’t wait to pick up that thread again and see where it actually does lead me. Because like my mother, I cook to please people, I find it makes me happy. No matter how much I complain about it. It’s a bit dumb. It’s sentimental. It’s who I am and was always meant to be.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
My Previous Project Food Blog Entries
FoodBuzz Challenge #9: The Hollywood “District” is on my beat
FoodBuzz Challenge #8: Pumpkin Tarts, Sweet & Savory
FoodBuzz Challenge #7: Foodie Film Festival
FoodBuzz Challenge #5: Grilled Pizza
FoodBuzz Challenge #4: Picturing Spring Rolls
FoodBuzz Challenge #3: Sippity Suppers
FoodBuzz Challenge #2: Turkish Mussels
FoodBuzz Challenge #1: A Top 9 of My Own
Glad to see Rod’s article, his food is amazing as is his restaurant in Culver City, CA. Leaf Organics. My husband and I have been raw foodies off and on for 7 yrs. and feel younger and move vibrant than most folks at our ages. I’m 66 and he’s 52! Blessings to all who are venturing in this direction, at some point you will not believe how great you feel and are!!! Spend money now for organic/locally grown and save money long term in Dr. and Hospital bills! Thanks Rod and all Raw Food Teachers~~~ oxox
I am glad to be a part of the movement back to real, raw, natural foods. Click on my name to read my little post about where you can find the right kinds of food at your local grocer…
RAW FOOD newbie who would love to get his hands on this!
Rod’s raw foods are the best I have ever eaten. I feel like a different person when eating a raw food diet and am always amazed at how much healthier I look. Take a look at Rod and see what raw food does for you!
I and my partner have been eating predominately Raw Food for three years.
We are definitely feeling the energy!
We eat at Leaf Organics whenever we are in the LA area,
and we have both Rod’s Book and his Food Prep Class DVD!
The recipes are INDEED easy to make and DELICIOUS!
My dietary path has evolved from tons of meat with vegetables from a can, through the fast food years, to vegetarianism, then to veganism, and now, lately, incorporating a large amount of raw food into my diet. I don’t feel deprived, and I don’t think people who eat meat are “sinners” — I often say when people ask me if I miss meat and dairy, that if I wanted to have a cheeseburger, I would have one. The reality is that I don’t want one. Some people think that all we raw vegans eat is salad. Quite the contrary. I am totally fulfilled and constantly stimulated by the wide variety of flavors, textures, and colors in my diet. I too prefer food with “real fats” (and I think they are essential for good health) which I get plenty of in the form of nuts, seeds, and avocados. It’s not for everybody, but this is my path. I love my food and my food loves me!
.…like I just walked into a church wearing a black shirt w/ a pentagram on it and everyone is pointing and looking at me saying, “Meat sinner!”.
Thanks for that. I could never see myself go on a diet that involves only raw food. But surely balancing mine with 2–3 dishes a week could prove a smart move.
Just been on a mostly raw food diet for less than week and have already lost 5 lbs, 2 inches off bely and slept a straight 6 hours last night — first time in AGES! I was up by 7 am (usually don’t drag myself out of bed till 9–10) and the pain Ive had in my feet for over a year is subsiding!
I’m being productive and in communication. I have energy!
Keep up the good work!
Viv
I have to admit I’ve not heard of Rod before now. That wakame salad recipe looks wonderful, I love sea veggies!
Well, if I can’t have Rod Rotondi in my kitchen, I mind as well at least enjoy his cookbook. *wink*
Thanks for the opportunity.
This is a book I don’t have! I’m also not familiar with this author. As a raw chef-in-training at the 105degrees Academy, I’d love to get my hands on a copy!
This was definitely a great post with awesome information! Being a biology student who loves the “science” aspect of food, I enjoyed reading every little tidbit!
I find the comments on raw foods interesting. I don’t think I could on a completely raw food diet, but maybe a few dishes a week? Thank you for introducing us to a different aspect of food.
I completely agree that our body tells us what it needs and I have probably ignored mine and its requests for raw food needs–not much exposure. Good thing you’re putting this out there for people like me. Thanks. 🙂
I’ve tried some raw dishes at restaurants and they were very good. I haven’t had that kind of luck at home. I tried putting my dog on a raw diet a few years ago due to some health issues and she wouldn’t touch the raw meat. I had to cook it. Kind of defeats the purpose and was a really expensive experiment.
P.S. does Rod come with the book if I win?
I’d love to learn more about appreciating vegetables and grains a little closer to their natural state. Please put my name in the hat. Thanks. I can’t wait to try the salad.
I agree, somewhat. I believe that when we started to cook our food, it opened up a whole new arena of possibilities for food. In some cases, food just was not edible until it was cooked, so the proteins that gave the plant its protection could be deactivated.
OTOH, when you look at that package of balogna, it may be in the cold section, but it is the furthest from its natural state that it can get. I could go on for days, don’t get me started. LOL
I enjoyed reading this. I’ve had some really great raw food experiences recently, and I find it strange how resistant some people are to the very idea of raw food. I’m not sure if I’ll ever adopt a completely raw lifestyle, but I’m definitely into making it part of my food repertoire.
Thanks for this post. While I’m open to a predominantly plant-based diet, I hadn’t thought about the effects of cooking. I found Rotundi’s comments very interesting. And look what it’s done for him — tres good looking!
P.S. Your lead-in was honest which I’ve come to expect from Sup!