Five years ago today ...

Juniper & Ivy, Richard Blais' restaurant in San Diego.
My birthday dinner and one of my favorite meals this year,
plus I had the opportunity to meet Chef Blais.

I launched Chasing Crumbs five years ago today. What started as an outlet for my writing has become so much more than I imagined. It's a challenge to myself to break out of the routine and try new things when I enter the kitchen. It's inspiration when I travel to explore each city's unique culinary offerings. It's a testament to my goal of sharing my love of food with others. On my blog's fifth anniversary, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and share with you the story behind Chasing Crumbs.

When I turned 11 my grandmother taught me how to cook, and since then it has always been a passion of mine. Cooking is my favorite escape, an adventure into a world of savory and sweet treats. It's so easy to get lost in the the aromas of freshly baked cookies, cinnamon apples simmering on the stove or a bourbon bread pudding bubbling in the oven. Certain flavors have the power to transport you to another time and place -- freshly grilled corn and roasted peaches remind me of summer, prime rib invites memories of holiday dinners and seafood will always remind me of home. 

But beyond all else, what I love about food is that it brings people together. Growing up, the dinner table was where we shared stories about school and work. On holidays my family would take turns in the kitchen preparing parts of the meal. And today, I often host friends for brunch or invite them to try new restaurants with me. And the rare opportunities I've had to chat with a chef about my meal, those are moments I treasure as I hope to glean insights that I can ultimately incorporate into my own amateur adventures in the kitchen.  

Whether it's trying new foods, restaurants or recipes, I long to explore more of what the culinary world has to offer. And I will continue to use this blog to share my experiences with you. Cheers!