Return of the Jedi

Like a lousy girlfriend, I have again neglected this blog. I read Marketman and Wysgal's posts and remain amazed at how they maintain their blogs on a daily basis. Anyway, you've heard this song before.

I've realized that one of the reasons why I take forever to post is I'm waiting to upload pictures, which takes forever for me to accomplish as well. So since this is what's causing the delay, and since I will never ever achieve the quality of pictures presented by idol Chubbyhubby anyways, my new resolution is to post in pure prose, sans the "orgasmic" pictures that comprise 80% of dessertcomesfirst. Inspired by Madame Ruthie's Garlic and Sapphires, I hope to be able to translate taste to the reader in pure text, and if that doesn't happen, well then, at least I had my exercise in writing. And if people are too bored to read, well, like Troy Dyer said ... "there's no secret handshake - there is an IQ requirement" ...


I want to digress from food this time and talk about writing.

In the past few months I have grown to truly love writing. The pure act of communication - translating experiences, thoughts and ideas into words - has of recent made me feel alive again, inspired. How do you make people taste the apple pie you just tasted? How do make them hear, touch, smell what you just experienced? At the same time, living in a civilized world, how do you break the news that the tempura was one of the worst you ever tasted? How do you tell your readers that the steak at this restaurant, raved about by high society, is one big brown bore?

I hit the keyboard days, sometimes weeks, after my first meal at a restaurant; usually after having visited the restaurant a third or fourth time. But I am forced to close my eyes and relive each visit, taste the catfish salad again (too sour), sip the tamarind tea (different, but not as refreshing as the regular lemon iced tea), bite into Ed Quimson's Princess Diana Pudding, with its cold, soft, milky base the texture of silk and the crumbly roof that is lightly caramelized and peppered with powdered sugar and a sprinkling of thinly sliced California almonds. I love it because I get to taste each bite I had again, in my head, and cherish the experience all the more as I bring the experience from my tongue to my heart, to my brain, to my fingers as I plug the words into the computer and tell the story to the world.

I'm sure all food writers feel the same way, bloggers and pros alike - bloggers probably even more so because the writing is out of a pure love of food (and most times the writing even more professional!). Doesn't it just make you feel alive? The gift of communication, the gift of speech. We human beings are truly blessed to have it.

PS Don't get me wrong. I won't NOT have pictures. Just won't be hindered by them. Those blogs with all these great pics are f.intimidating!