Let's Abodiyo Go!

"Abodiyo go" is one of those dorky phrases my mom always used when I was growing up, and which I swore in high school that I'd never say. That aside, I think it fits this beginning of a dorky amateur blog about food. Food is my not-so-secret passion. In another life, I could definitely have been happy being a baker. As it is, my current calling is as a peacebuilder and friendmaker. That said, baking things for people is one of the fastest ways to make friends. 

Here are my scrambled thoughts about cooking:

Cooking can be a communal activity, which can help strengthen relationships. Eating, as Wendell Barry said, is an agricultural act, so cooking and eating connect us with the earth, and those that tend it. Eating is also an intimate act, which we generally share only with our friends and families. Cooking for someone is an act of love. It can show concern for their well-being, care for their body, and an appreciation of their taste, as well as being a sacrifice of the chef's time.

Here are my thoughts about being vegetarian or vegan:

I've never really liked meat, so it's no real hardship to give it up. I've been sort of vegetarian for a year now. I say "sort of" because hospitality is more important to me than my personal eating choices. So if someone else is cooking for me, particularly if they are from a culture different from my own, I eat whatever they make. In fact, because of this rule, I have now partaken of three different (and tasty) insect varieties.

I started out being vegan last year for Lent and I really enjoyed it, and even got to the point where eggs kinda gross me out, but in the end, my admiration of cheese was too great. In any case, when I cook for myself, I tend to cook vegetarian, so that's the kind of recipes you'll be finding here, although many of them are also vegan, or easily adaptable with the proper substitutions.

Oh, and the name BeanCake, I felt encompassed the vegetarian vibe, and the wonderful realm of desserts. 

So, here's my mission statement for this blog:

 I will publish and organize my recipes (original, altered, and otherwise) on this blog in order to develop my creativity, confidence, prowess, and gusto in the kitchen. I will post questions in order to learn form the wisdom of others, as well as share what I have learned. Hopefully others will see the recipes and in turn, be inspired...perhaps even lulled into a peaceful state by sensory goodness. 

This blog is a way to share with you the love I put into my food.

Thanks,

BeanCake