Did I say tomorrow? Well, I meant close to tomorrow – as an Entrepreneurial Consulting Job Seeking Mom Wife, the definition of tomorrow is any day after today and before next week. Hope you understand.
So, I was thinking – while we are having fun and all of that, you probably want to know how I got on this spicy journey. How do I know about spices? Why do I care so deeply about the flavor of food and life? Well, here is a little glimpse (maybe there will be more as we get to know each other better).
I learned how to make a perfect sour cream pound cake at the same time that I learned to count. Macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie and banana pudding came with pre-school, ABCs and reading. I cooked my first meal in 2nd grade – baked chicken, macaroni and cheese and broccoli. I tried chicken cordon bleu in 4th grade ( Aunt Claudette still raves about it ) and I was catering parties for my parents and their friends by the 6th grade – my 1st entrepreneurial endeavor .
Sunday at the Lee house was Recipe Cook-Off day. My father and I would plan a menu, split the recipes and cook off to see who made the best interpretation. NO DIRECT RECIPE FOLLOWING ALLOWED.
My father, an accomplished lay-chef, set standards for rich flavor and delectable taste in all of the dishes he prepared. He taught me that food is emotional and the more passion you put into your dishes the better your guests will feel – great food is like a warm hug. Generations of his family were widely known as cooking forces to be reckoned with who loved to share the warmth – my grandmother owned a catering company. Their specialties were legendary from Worth, West Virginia to Washington DCto Norristown, PA and beyond – fried chicken, (this is my oven baked version - healthier but just as delicious) eggplant parmesan, sweet potato pone, chicken and dumplings, mashed potato rolls and the list goes on…
My mother, a former model and style maven, set the standard for stylish, yet welcoming entertaining. She owned a special events and wedding planning company – simple elegance was the rule. While her mother whipped up delicious signature dishes she brought with her from Saluda, South Carolina – baked macaroni and cheese, bean pots, sweet potato pie and pound cake, her father ran the local dinner/night club.
Growing up surrounded by these incredible people, I absorbed much that has enhanced my life. As a child and young woman I had unlimited time to try new and interesting recipes and presentations. As an Entrepreneurial Consulting Job Seeking Mom Wife– NOT SO MUCH.
But I still love hugging my family and friends with delicious, well prepared dishes served in a warm and stylish setting.
Over the past 10 years, I have developed my family secrets into Saluda Spice Co. spice blends and meal starters so that you can taste the hug of delectable slow cooked heirloom dishes quickly and with little effort.
Today is a good day for the tangy blended taste of chipotle peppers, thyme and paprika - barbeque ribs or chicken (just substitute ribs with chicken), and potato salad – I love this potato salad, corn on the cob and ice cream. Drinks of your choice. Let me know if and when you try it – how you liked.
Have some leftovers? I love Michael Chiarello’s Coverflex silicone lids.
Food over – let’s talk briefly about shopping. I got my Nordstrom May catalog on Thursday and on page 5 was a great Summer top – feminine, but not frilly, to wear with jeans or shorts…perfect, until I saw it in real life. The color was washed out, the embroidery smaller than the picture, and unless you had a personal stylist pinning you in it, and kept your back to the wall, there’s no way it looked remotely like the ad. Another big point - small and XS sizes were left on the rack because your arms need to come out of your ears to get the top on, and if that isn’t the case – which I hope it is, then you have to size up. Oh. . . and then you still need the stylist.
SALTY – the taste that I felt walking out of Nordstrom without my great Summer top.
Tastefully yours,
Kimberly
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