understanding who i am in the kitchen

i am from montreal as you know. i was very independent when i was young i even moved out form my house at fifteen years of age, but i still went to school everyday. i never had anyone over. i just like quiet a little to much. i also liked my things to remain where i left them. as i got older and moved into the city specifically notre dame de grace . I loved to cook in fact when the first meal i ever cooked was french onion soup at the age of seven, i even took the money i had and bought the perfect bowls to serve my family with and my first dessert was petit choux. i begun to be open to having people come over for a meal, i had been a vegetarian since i was eleven years of age so I would cook hardy soups for friends who were in the neighborhood and quickly learned that sharing meals brought me complete pleasure and was affordable for everyone. i baked a lot too specially around the holidays where i would box my baked goods and deliver them to all the people i knew that would work on holidays and always have ever since. christmas eve was mine to volunteer, drop of goodies and spend time with those who found themselves working.

then later i met my husband we had nothing in common when it came to food, in fact the complete opposite he only ate meat and i only vegetables. slowly it became easier to cook foods that he would eat and i settled for simple dishes which tend to be mostly starches. I also did not know many people who enjoyed the same foods i did..and slowly i gave up what i had one enjoyed so much; cooking at a heavy price. my whole family cooks that is what is great about going home it's always about food . well like a gift from the heavens on a car ride to new hamsphire my husband turned to me and said he does not want to eat meat anymore in our new house...i nearly drove off the highway in delight, i have never asked him to give it up, but he just felt it was time.

the odd thing about it is i forget what it was i ate and i am learning it again and he and i are loving it. i also am inspired daily by the new friends i have made, aran for one, i even joined one of the baking groups( what was i thinking?) i am terrified because it will be a challenge and when i look at there incredible work again i say "what was i thinking". to make things even more strange i have owned a tea and spice business since 2001 so i have every spice in the world..staring at me. well today after reciting these words over and over again to myself " you will be okay, just give it a try" i decided to continue taking pictures of things in my kitchen in hopes of understanding the level of my passion.

(this feels so personal- is it-gosh?)