Here and Back Again

So in the middle of the first post, I realized that this should actually be the first post, to explain what is going on, and what this blog aims to do.  I recognize that when it comes to keeping in touch with people, I am a terrible friend.  I cannot reliably email/call/write people, but I hope you realize it is not because I don't love you.  I've wanted to do a blog for that reason, but also because there's a bit more freedom/structure (if that makes sense) in terms of what you want to talk about and how you organize it.  Lastly, I love sharing cooking, and I that is best done with a set up such as this where I can post some pictures and talk about my experiences. 

So I suspect a big theme will be recipes and what I am cooking.  There are a few favorite recipes that I make consistently, but otherwise, I just like to try new things.  I like bold flavors and ingredients, and am very picky in terms of deciding if something is good enough to cook again, or if it was ok for one try, move on to the next. 

Along with the theme of cooking, I am very much concerned about eating healthier and more locally.  However, I am not perfect, and this is a constant journey.  I try to educate myself about these things by listening to Podcasts and reading (currently I am about halfway through Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma), and then doing what I can to effect change in my own life at least.  Which is hard when you are all of a sudden on a grad student salary again.  However, as of right now, I am trying to make a commitment to go to the Weaver Street co-op, as well as take advantage of the farmer's market in the same area.  Cooking from scratch in general will often save money, as will buying seasonally.  So in that spirit, I am attempting to learn about and cook more seasonal meals, although I don't know what that will mean for the winter, since I don't have the materials or space to do much preservation/canning.  I just ordered some seasonal cookbooks, so I look forward to trying some of those farmers market oriented recipes. 

And as mentioned, I am once again a grad student, ahh!  Going for a PhD means a lot of things, right now I am most concerned with the reading.  So given that many of my friends are involved in archaeology/anthropology, I will probably post at least a few things on here relating to those sorts of issues.

Through all of this, I hope that any of you who actually spend the time to read and follow posts will comment often, and enjoy the food and random musings I try to offer.

Thanks!

~Ash