Welcome to my blog!

I’ve finally done it!  I’ve joined the hundreds of thousands that came before me and have started my very own food blog!  While I don’t have any “official” training, relevant experience, etc. which would qualify me to write about food, I consider myself a foodie for two reasons:  I am always thinking about/trying to learn more about food (obsessed, much?) and I’ll try anything (from a food perspective) at least once, and probably twice.  I do consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable (from years of watching Food Network and TLC, googling, and random lectures/classes), but if you disagree, just stop reading whenever you feel like it:)

About Me:  I was raised in Troy, MI along with my sister, Suzie, by our parents John and Janet.  (Hey, Mom and Dad!  I think you should be required to read this blog so I look like I have followers.)

With the fam on a Caribbean cruise, Summer 2009

After finishing high school, I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, graduating in 2006 and 2007, with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biomedical Engineering.  (Yes, I’m still in my late-mid-20’s.  And a nerd.)  I said goodbye to the state of Michigan for Washington, DC to start my career at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Being a Patent Examiner is as boring as it sounds.  However, I absolutely loved (and still do!) living in Washington, DC and soon found another job as a Technical Consultant for a pharmaceutical company in the area, working to resolve manufacturing issues with drugs and medical devices.  Much more exciting!  In 2008, my boyfriend, Jarrett (a graduate from the wonderful UofM as well), of 3 years, one of which was long distance, moved to DC as well.  We got engaged in 2009 and married in 2010!

Jarrett and I... not posed, I swear.  We just had a hilarious bridal party.

Cutting our sweet cake!

Awesome brownie favors:)

In my free time, I love to cook/bake/eat out (duh, otherwise why would I start this blog), exercise (a must to balance out the eating, you may be hearing about this as well), and try new things in general.

Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in DC:)

Me and my favorite chef, Jose Andres!

My food background:  My family is a very “meat and potatoes” kind of family, with an emphasis on Belgian and Polish cuisine.  (Oh yeah, I’m Belgian and Polish.)  My mom doesn’t really cook other than mashed potatoes, homemade macaroni and cheese, and Thanksgiving dinner.  She’d bake Christmas cookies with my sister and I because that’s what we wanted, but stopped as soon as we were old enough to work the oven.  My Dad did the majority of the cooking.  We ate a lot of “Amurrrican” food.  I staunchly refused to eat my vegetables and spent years without dessert because of it.  I hated fish.

However, my horizons broadened when in college (as horizons quite frequently do when one is in college).  I did not eat only pizza rolls and cookie dough like I had originally thought I would.  Maybe I should chalk it up to working in a dorm cafeteria for two years… but then again, maybe not.  Either way, I tried Thai food for the first time and loved it.  (Jarrett must get credit for that one.)  I started eating my vegetables as long as they part of another dish and chopped small enough that a microscope was required to see them.  Gradually, I progressed to eating them by themselves (gasp!).  I love, love fish and may even eat it more than I eat meat now (don’t worry carnivores, there’s plenty for you here).  I have even eaten grasshopper tacos… twice!

Grasshopper tacos at Oyamel!

But most importantly, I learned that food is so much more than just ingredients.  And I’m still learning.  Thus, I present to you Forking and Spooning:  my epicurious journal into everything food.  Enjoy!