Postscript: 2009

2009 will be the year that I really got back to cooking and baking, even though I’ve been doing it consistently for the last 10 years or so. The difference was that I started writing about my adventures more and more, and even though Purple House Dirt had been around for a few years, this year it really grew into something much more.

Even if you’re a new reader to this site, you probably already know that I tend to keep restaurant reviews and other mundane activities off the blog and instead focus on recipes, technique and testing. It’s not that I don’t have an opinion, it’s just that I don’t want to turn a camera on every aspect of my life. I respect folks who can take a camera into a restaurant and snap away while their food gets cold and the chef stares on. That’s just not the kind of diner I am, and even here at home I get grief for holding up meals. That said, I will take this new year opportunity to look back a little.

On Dining Out

We ate some incredible meals this year, and some pretty sorry ones too. Highlights for me included a trip to the newly-opened Mistral Kitchen, where Todd and I sat at the pastry bar talking with Neil Robertson throughout our excellent meal. Some other notables:

• Olivar, for a Basque dinner presented by Phillipe Thomelin and Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez. This dinner was covered in a great post by Jay Friedman.
• Frank’s Oyster House and Champagne Parlor, which opened earlier this year. It’s stumbling distance from our house and the happy hour is happy indeed. Drank a terrific Jack Rose while I was there and we ate two plates of deviled eggs without missing a beat.
• Volunteer Park Café and Café Campagne, one new to us, the other an old favorite. We mixed it up a bit by walking to each, 4 miles and 5.9 miles respectively. Earning brunch was never so good.
• Hudson Public House, another neighborhood favorite, allows me to indulge in hamburger because I know where they get it and I know they grind it themselves. Oh, and the beer list is tight.
• Reef in Houston, TX. They took over an old Chevy dealership and transformed it into a beacon of sustainable and delish seafood. Thank goodness, I was afraid I’d only eat Tex-Mex while visiting my folks.

On Getting Out

2009 marked our first trip to Asia, and we went right for the kill: hawker stands in Singapore. During our time there, we ate at least 3 – 4 times a day, and made sure we got in the requisite chili crab and chicken rice. Our side trip to Yogyakarta, Indonesia was nourishing in other ways. We toured the ancient Buddhist temple of Borobodur at sunrise one morning and the Hindu temple Prambanan the next. In between we swam in the saltwater pool and ranged through the town and market. Each morning we woke to the call to prayer at some 10 mosques near our tiny hotel, the sound unmistakable and beautiful.

I can’t wait to return.

On New Friendships

Earlier this year I had the chance to attend the International Food Bloggers Conference here in Seattle, sponsored by Foodista and Sur La Table. It was a watershed moment for me. I felt part of a community, both literal and figurative, and left energized and focused. Since then, I’ve sought out folks in the community for guidance both in food and writing, some in person and others only online. Most all are listed in the blogroll to the right, but I want to highlight a few:

• The folks at Foodista (Melissa, Sheri, Barnaby), who are building community through technology, something I’m fiercely passionate about
• Traca Savadogo (Seattle Tall Poppy), whose reach and guidance led me to all sorts of new places and people
• Becky Selengut (Chef Reinvented), who shared some awesome Damson experiences with me and introduced me to the Mission:Sustainable team
• Janna Wemmer (Secret Stash Salts), whose always-welcoming smile greeted me at the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market, and who showed me if you really do something you’re passionate about, people will follow
• Alice Medrich, who gave me permission to reuse all of her recipes from her out-of-print masterpiece Cookies and Brownies and gave me a project I could really complete with success
• The Daring Bakers, an online community of bakers who throw down the gauntlet every month and challenge me to be a better baker.

With Thanks

I really want to thank everyone who’s visited the site, everyone who’s left a comment and tried a recipe. And even if you’re lurking, thank you for all of your support.

Happy New Year!
Jenny

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