The Key Ingredient

Andi here....

After dining at dozens of restaurants in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, DC, NC, SC, London, Hong Kong and China it's about time I had something to show for it besides a full stomach.

What I've learned about food over the years has been tremendous & I'd like to think all of my culinary experiences have made me a more interesting person than the one I was the day I graduated college. 3 years ago I had never tasted a raw oyster, roasted bone marrow, oxtail meat, mussels, sushi (at its finest), escargot, rabbit, pate, foie gras, poached eggs on salad, truffles, burrata cheese, blood sausage, or grilled baby octopus---to name just a few.

With each new bite I discover a new surprise, a lesson, a memory, and a story. Even if it's just a story of where the recipe originated or how long the restaurant's been using it--it's still a story. Even if the surprise is just that there's a little dolop of wasabi between the fish and rice I wasn't expecting--it's still a surprise. If you're eating--which I hope you are in moderation--then there's always a conversation to be had. Half of the stuff I talk about usually pertains to what I ate today, yesterday or last year. Ask my friends, they'll tell ya.

So with this blog I decided that---sure I'd like to talk about the meals I have---but moreover I'd like to focus on that 1 thing about each meal I have that makes it special. What's the key ingredient? What makes this particular BLT jump off the plate? What's it gonna take to etch this dish into my long term memory and ultimately into this blog? Maybe it's just the mustard or the fresh baked sourdough slices. Who knows.

Sit back, relax and enjoy as I play detective, uncovering key ingredients on the West Coast.