Christine and the Big Scary Kitchen

Hi, new friend. My name is Christine and I like you.

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Let me start off by saying, I am a twenty something college grad with no chef training living in Philadelphia, PA.  I have no credentials to write a cooking blog other than the fact the kitchen was a monster under the bed for me for a long time.  If learning about cooking was a pool, I stood with my tip toe in the water trying to acclimate for years.  However, the quickest way to learn to swim (or in this case cook) is to accept the fact it’s going to be really-effing-uncomfortable  at first and jump the hell in.

I lived with the knowledge I was eating neither well nor right for years, but refused to pull up the covers and call that monster out.  Then, one day, I decided to see what I was really afraid of in the BIG SCARY KITCHEN.  These are my adventures.

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About Me

I was raised in a military family.  We moved all over the country and even lived overseas for a few years.  My dad got out of the military when I hit middle school and my family settled in Colorado Springs, CO.  After spending a little over a decade in the Springs, I decided to try something new.  In October 2008, I packed up three suitcases and my cat and moved to Philadelphia, PA.

My life has been completely different ever since. I only knew my roommate, the job market was crap, and I was trying to get out of a serious after-college funk (which you can read about in this blog post), so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I like to do, who I am and what is really important in life. Along the way, I became fearless and found fabulous, extraordinary and loyal friends.

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I like purple, yellow, and green things.  I haven’t dyed my hair since I moved to Philadelphia.  I spend too much money on shoes.  I love the local farmer’s market (their pigs taste great!)  I believe that happiness is a choice, positive energy matters, and brightening days with a smile or a joke.

I love Asian food.  I refuse to eat out at Italian restaurants.  I eat too much Mexican food.  I will eat almost anything once, then try it again.  I love feeding people.  I’m recovering from being a fast food junkie.  I have a huge sweet tooth thanks to my father.  I will dance if something yummy is headed my way.

I don’t like the taste of eggs unless they’re poached, but will eat them.  I don’t like sour things, but will try them just in case I change my mind.  I think capers are disgusting and there is no hope for them.  I can’t eat spicy food thanks to my mother eating everything spicy while pregnant with me.

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A final anecdote, because she inspires me so much.

My mother explains heaven and hell in the following Korean tale. In heaven and hell, everyone is seated at a table with very long chopsticks. In hell, they try to feed themselves, but the chopsticks are too long to put in their own mouths. In heaven, the chopsticks are the same length, but everyone uses their chopsticks feed each other.

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All pictures are taken by myself unless otherwise noted with a Nikon D40X with the standard lens, sometimes a tripod and sometimes a remote.  These photos are property of Christine Eriksen.