Shhhhh…let’s be quiet and be still…maybe just for a tiny moment. Something different is happening at Life in Recipes. Where is the beautiful photograph always situated between the title and body of text? What in the heck is going on? Please allow me tell you: my work on SYMON SAYS…LIVE TO COOK is nearing completion. Catering is historically slow this month and other clients are away. The kids are doing what they need to be doing. There is no beautiful photograph of food and nary a recipe in sight because what you are looking at is my clean kitchen. A very clean and somewhat empty kitchen. A kitchen that provides the hub of activity for a family that ebbs and flows in size depending on the week or day and serves as my workspace on most. A small, but adequately equipped kitchen that frequently puts out up to 72 separate dishes in a few days time. By me. I counted. Shopped, prepped, cooked, tested, re-tested, re-re-tested, packaged, delivered, and cleaned. Again, just me. I have been scrubbing and de-greasing, organizing, emptying and restructuring because in a very short while I am leaving town.
When I was around eight years old we took in a stray cat that had been hiding out in my Tata Nate’s cookie distribution warehouse. The cat was promptly named Shadow because of her grey coat of fur – I recognize that you are all intelligent people who probably could have figured that one out on your own. Shadow was an indoor-outdoor cat prone to taking off and not returning for days, behavior which would distress me terribly. My mother, in an attempt to assuage my worries would tell me that Shadow was just going out for a “pussycat adventure”, and that she would soon return — which she always did. In honor of the memory of that beloved cat Shadow, I am headed out for a pussycat adventure. I’m off to destinations far away from home in an everlasting and ever-loving quest for tastes, flavors and ingredients that elude me in my hometown, to gather a certain kind of peace in my heart I can only seem to find with travel to other lands, and because I just plain old loathe February in Cleveland.
I shall return, but as it ends up I will only be home for a couple of days to wash my face, brush my teeth, pay some bills and repack as I found out yesterday that I will be headed straight to Miami to work on another book (more on that in a future post) for another nine days. Meee-owza! Between business and pleasure, this little curly-haired kitty is going to be away from home for a while. I don’t think I could live it any other way.
And, HELLO, people! What about the gorgeous new site???!!! I could not, could not be more pleased with the outcome. Special props and gratitude go out to Kyle Roth of Epstein Design Partners and Alison Crawford of Crawford Design. Kyle was able to extract from a couple of friendly meetings what I had been envisioning in my head as the look and feel for my new home at WordPress, and managed to do exactly that in a professional and expeditious manner. I already had in place my logo and font graphics from Alison; again handled with professionalism and an impeccable eye and ear for detail. They were both able to capture the essence of ME. Much appreciation and thanks to you both. Again, I credit DT Ruhlman for capturing my sunny best in the radiant headshot; I thank you. As always, I welcome any and all comments, e-mails, suggestions, witticisms, bad jokes, etc. I am happy to hear from you. The new link to my feed is located at the bottom of the links column on this page.
For a couple of reasons, I can’t seem to get this song from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp out of my head:
We are Siamese, if you please.
We are Siamese if you don’t please!
We are former residents of Siam
There are no finer cats than we am.
10 Comments
a pussycat adventure. my favorite of all.
Your brilliance amazes and inspires me daily. I’m kind of crushing on you at the moment. BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT!
The new site is beautiful, glad you didn’t change the radiant head shot.
Happy happy holidays and I look forward to seeing the colours and flavours you meet melt into life in recipies.
Edward Lear for your travels – its all about honey, travels and dancing afterall.
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!’
II
Pussy said to the Owl, ‘You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?’
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
III
‘Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?’ Said the Piggy, ‘I will.’
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
Hi Heidi,
I have been lurking at your blog for a awhile now, this post blew me away! You are truly talented and my goal is to afford you to cook for me one day:) I did hear you were going to India, I am so happy for you and looking forward to hearing all about it. Enjoy your travels. Your writing (and I am sure, cooking) is a blessing:) Much love and best wishes on your pussycat adventure! Sandy Gross
The new site is beautiful and ever so stylish….glad you left the radiant head shot.
Happy holidays and adventures to you, I look forward to the colours and flavours you encounter melting into life in recipes.
finally, it’s here. i’m both envious and thrilled and delighted. everything fell into place and you so very deserve it. it’s karma, my friend…
Lisa: You are long overdue.
Aunt Bea: Awww shucks.
Rachel: The Owl and the Pussycat is one of my favorite pieces of poetry, in fact, I have two illustrated versions.
Sandy: I’m totally, totaly flattered that you’ve been lurking around these parts. Nope, it’s not India…stay tuned.
Claudia: Yes! It’s really happening. Pinching myself.
hello! thanks for stopping by our blog. gotta say, i will definitely be back here. i’m going to take a bit of time to check out older posts.
also, thanks alot for getting that “we are siamese” song in my head. i haven’t thought of that one in years. i’ll be sleeping and dreaming about that one tonight…
I hope you have the most wonderful time escaping Cleveland for a bit :)
Here’s to happy and creative travels!
A long time ago, in a baking blog far, far away you visited my blog and were sweet enough to leave a comment. I’m FINALLY getting back to my comments now. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and for your kind words.
Besides getting back to my comments I’m trying to actually enjoy reading more blogs besides just combing for recipes that catch my eye. I’m astounded by the quality of writing that I continually come across and yours is included in those ranks. “Pussycat adventure”…what a wonderful idea and story.
As to your blog design, Wow. Really. I wish I knew more about coding so I could refine my blog, but there are only so many hours in the day…ugh!
From reading your last post you should be in Thailand (yes?). I hope you have a wonderful time. When you come back tell us all about it!