2008 – A Year of Culinary Types

Whether one cooks or not, the kitchen connects all of our lives. In 2008, I was drawn even more closely to the miraculous bond between people and food. The journey introduced me to an uncommon assortment of “Culinary Types.”

Along the way, we encountered Bonnie Slotnick and her charming West Village shop, filled to the rafters with antiquarian cookbooks. We tasted the heirloom recipes of Chris and Helen Junda at Junda’s Pastry, Crust and Crumbs on the North Fork of Long Island, and embraced the hand of friendship of John and Diane MacPherson, innkeepers at the Foster Harris House in Little Washington, Virginia.

We celebrated the brilliance of Chefs Patrick O’Connell and Daniel Boulud and learned the techniques of French country cooking with legendary culinary instructor Anne Willan. We paid homage to The King of Paella and chatted with Kelly Alexander, the woman who revived forgotten food writer Clementine Paddleford.

We sampled the pioneering spirits of the Whisky Master of Rappahonnock County, and savored the simplicity of roast chicken. Culinary excursions took us from Jackson Heights, New York to Sonoma Valley, California and even a stop at Miss Polly’s in Memphis, the home of “Love, Peace and Chicken Grease.”

Together, we experienced the joys of sustainable organic agriculture in the fields of Sophia Garden, perfected Tapas and endured the rigors of Cheese Boot Camp. Retro Cakes were both whimsical and surreal, and food historian Francine Segan confirmed that pie is “the next big thing.”

And, as always, there were faithful food blogger friends to comment and complete the story, be it the celebratory Louise, the intriguing Cakespy, Kathy the collector, the methodical Veronica or the prolific Lydia of the Perfect Pantry. Someday, I’d like to meet Lydia in person. Perhaps that’s a story for 2009 …

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year to All!

©2008 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved