About Me

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Welcome!

I'm Molly, a twenty-something citizen of the world that currently finds herself teaching English in Sevilla, Spain. I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana but I've also hung my hat in Seoul, Nashville, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Rome.

In my recent adventures living and traveling abroad, I've taken an immense interest in the culinary aspects of cultures: how climate affects cuisine, eating rituals, eating schedules, diet "rules" etc. All that and, well, I really like to eat.

Food, of course, is an essential tool for nourishing the body, but in most cultures, it is also an act of sharing, giving, creating, rewarding, thanking, soothing and communicating. It's the most fundamental law of socialization. Who has a party without food? Why is it so uncomfortable to see someone eating alone in a restaurant? Why does a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's and your best friend just WORK when you're stressed out? Why is it so gratifying when people eat something you've created and LOVE it? Why is it so disheartening when they don't? Why are so many religious sacrifices and celebrations based around giving up or eating a certain food? Why do we plan what we're going to eat for dinner while we're eating lunch? Why do all cultures fundamentally focus most of their traditions around the act of sharing a meal?

Maybe you've never thought about it before. I, however, find these questions fascinating. In America, it has been quickly regaining popularity (yahoo!) to go back to the basics: making things from scratch, eating things your great grandma would recognize, and, in general, using meals and entertaining as a way to connect with people and to create cherished memories. In my experiences abroad, in countries whose culture, language, and catch-phrases are laden in cuisine-rich traditions, it's been hard not to notice that the importance of using fresh food, good ingredients, and sharing meals was never lost. I want to use this blog to expand my abilities in the kitchen, sure, but in doing so, I hope to also learn about each ingredient, the different international processes of cooking and using it, and the traditions that are part of the culinary experiences around the world.

I hope you'll join me on this journey of what's sure to include a lot of failure, hopefully some success, but above all A LOT of learning.

Cheers!