Well, here it is. The beginning of my b-l-o-g. It’s truly been a four-letter-word recently because of the amount of time it’s occupied my mind… Should I? Shouldn’t I? Who would actually want to read what I have to say? Is there such a thing as overexposure in the age of social media? Too many questions, too few answers and plenty of encouragement to jump in the deep end got me here – starting my blog, "The Foodie Gene."
Judy Schultz, whom I met a few years ago when she interviewed my mother and me for an Edmonton Journal article, deserves a mention. I pitched Judy the idea that a “foodie gene” existed in my family and she ran with it for the article.
I’m a practicing genetic counselor, so the concept of a familial gene for culinary obsession comes naturally to me. If I draw out our family pedigree I can spot the gene, plain as day, in five generations of my family (from my great-grandmother to my kids). And who knows, there might be more generations to come.
I’ll tell more about that ongoing story with this blog, and hopefully about other families too. The foodie gene’s not unique to my family; I’ve met many kindred spirits whose family photo albums don't contain pictures of people, but extreme close-ups of food – each photograph a milepost in the culinary landscape and history of the family. Ours punctuate my memories distinctly. Feel free to reach out if yours do as well.
I’m grateful to my fellow writers for encouraging me to kick this blog off. A recent Edmonton Public Library Writers' Corner inspired me to start talking about my idea (outside my head). It was met with enthusiasm (thank you, Sue Robins, Mary Bailey, Jennifer Cockrall-King and Tina Faiz). I’m admittedly nervous to put myself out there, but as Dr. Brené Brown eloquently put it, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
To my family and friends for gifting and nurturing the foodie gene in me – thank you. Hopefully this is just the beginning of more foodie memories.
Judy Schultz, whom I met a few years ago when she interviewed my mother and me for an Edmonton Journal article, deserves a mention. I pitched Judy the idea that a “foodie gene” existed in my family and she ran with it for the article.
I’m a practicing genetic counselor, so the concept of a familial gene for culinary obsession comes naturally to me. If I draw out our family pedigree I can spot the gene, plain as day, in five generations of my family (from my great-grandmother to my kids). And who knows, there might be more generations to come.
I’ll tell more about that ongoing story with this blog, and hopefully about other families too. The foodie gene’s not unique to my family; I’ve met many kindred spirits whose family photo albums don't contain pictures of people, but extreme close-ups of food – each photograph a milepost in the culinary landscape and history of the family. Ours punctuate my memories distinctly. Feel free to reach out if yours do as well.
I’m grateful to my fellow writers for encouraging me to kick this blog off. A recent Edmonton Public Library Writers' Corner inspired me to start talking about my idea (outside my head). It was met with enthusiasm (thank you, Sue Robins, Mary Bailey, Jennifer Cockrall-King and Tina Faiz). I’m admittedly nervous to put myself out there, but as Dr. Brené Brown eloquently put it, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
To my family and friends for gifting and nurturing the foodie gene in me – thank you. Hopefully this is just the beginning of more foodie memories.