What Inspires You?

All through my childhood, I wanted to be an artist.  I didn't have a particular type of artist in mind, but I knew that I loved working with my hands and creating things. Things didn't quite work out the way I had imagined in terms of becoming an artist, but I have surrounded myself with creative and artistic friends and family and that has been a wonderful gift.  And, of course, my knitting has become my most creative outlet.

I noticed recently that many knitters really love food and I'm no exception.  My parents were amazing cooks, mainly of Cantonese cuisine, but my dad could also roast a mean prime rib (my birthday dinner request for years) and I grew up eating very, very well.  When I set off on my own, I experimented endlessly with food (just ask Mark who was my victim dinner guest most nights), and taught myself how to buy ingredients, match them up (sometimes well), and create dishes.  Over the years, my confidence has grown, and I think I can honestly say that I'm a creative and solid cook.

When I'm not knitting and reading craft blogs, I'm cooking and reading food blogs.  Orangette's recent post about her upcoming trip to Paris (and then the trip being side-tracked), stirred the traveler and foodie in me.  This trip was long-in-the-making  and it was meant to inspire creativity, both in her writing and in her cooking. 

From Orangette's post

I look for inspiration in many different places and loved the way Molly described how she was hoping to be inspired by Paris.  She also shared a recipe that I was completely taken with. I'll be baking these this weekend.  I'll let you know how they turn out.