About Brain to Belly
The concept of brain to belly is something that I have been considering for a while now, usually adding my two cents on the topic to other blogs and food sites. As my brain mulls away at the parameters of what this blog should be the only definition I can come up with is that there may be no parameters. Just as our palates grow and mature, foodie fads ebb and flow, seasons change, and so be it in Brain to Belly. Part memoir, part recipe discussion, part musings on the art, science, psychology, and sociology of food.
About the author
My name is Holly and I am 36, raised in New Jersey, flirted with Southern charm in Virginia and Georgia, and settled now for the past 10 year in California. Because writing about yourself is difficult, and I am not yet well known enough to have forwards written by Michael Pollan, Gael Green, or Thomas Keller, I have asked a few friends whom I have shared cooking and eating experiences with to say a few words:
"Warm, spectacular, gracious. Humorous. Non judging (I'm sure there is a better word here)"
"The first phrase that comes to mind when thinking of your relation to socializing is Holly-days. Your love of the caramel apple martini and the Cosmo were worthy of Carrie Bradshaw. We’ll skip the cheese-atarian comments. But you have always appreciated good food. Some of the meals we shared (many times with your uncle)were the best in my life. in Napa, Greystone, ect. You made some good slow cooker meals and I still appreciate that raw food place you introduced me too. I miss the oysters with the sauces with Jerry and the gang every Super Bowl Sunday. And while they are delicious the funnel cake and the Jersey diners probably weren’t that good for us. A strong honorable mention to Duartes and the Pescadero Gas Station Wet Vegi-Burrito days."
"Food is - Art, Community, Culture, Identity - Life"
"An unpretentious experiencer. Appreciates the skill and expertise of others. Gracious."
"A master at whipping up a gourmet meal on any budget and with as few or as many ingredients as possible. A zen chef with a passion and love for all things beautiful and pure. Tastes ranging from homemade perogies to southern comfort food to exotic sushi. I love being around this girl and I miss our times in the kitchen chatting, drinking wine, eating & ignoring the pile of dishes we leave in our wake."
Historically speaking
For most of my childhood life my father was a food scientist in a large national food and beverage lab. He had no formal training in his career, but could make what he referred to as *magic* happen with acids, bases, starches, polymers, having an innate understanding of the physics and chemistry of food preparation. My earliest memories were of his small office filled with science text books and stacks of cookbooks and binders of recipes. His expansive, sterile lab with shiny stainless steel tables, glass cabinets filled with the workings of current projects, and recognizable industrial grade kitchen appliances like blenders and mixers and bizarre equipment, the likes of what I would learn to be a spray starch machine, or something like that. One of his points was very clear; food, particularly prepackaged processed food could be good or bad for you. As he pointed to a wall of plastic 2 liter bottles of a brand name soda project he was working on he looked sternly at me and said "never drink that. That is not good for you. It is marketed to look like it is good for you, but sometimes the people in charge don't have your best interest in their own." I think I was five at the time and the lesson was filed in my brain in the same category of look both ways before crossing the street, and don't touch that stove, it is hot. The well known and much consumed product contained an ingredient known as Glycerol Ester, or more commonly known as wood rosin which is used as a polymer in glue, or to make color or flavor stick to a food product. The reason my father warned me to stay away was because wood rosin is a carcinogen. No it isn't.. Yes it is.. See, things can be confusing. Let's help each other sort them out.
Smell, touch, taste, feel
As I worked my way through college much of my experiences were in restaurants, bars and catering companies. I learned to prep and sous chef, to taste food and beverages for the purpose of description and education, I mimicked techniques, I tried things at home. I attended dinner parties with friends and strangers that felt by the end of the night bonded like family through a love of food and wine. This is how I express my love and appreciation and experience great connection: through the sharing of meals.
Food became my art, my science, and an expression of myself. Appreciation for the aesthetics of produce, meats, cheeses, wines, beers, and sea offerings at the amazing local farmers market has educated me that food can be beautiful, and meet the needs of the senses in many different shapes and forms.
The good, the bad, and the eh
And so as Brain to Belly comes together recipes are my take of experiences that I have had that I feel I could expand upon, share, or make over to be well, just better. The most recent experience I had was a mediocre version of Chiliquiles, that left me knowing I could do something better than the way the dish was prepared. And there I was, in the mess of a kitchen the day after a big Christmas dinner surrounded by half empty sauces and spices and items for the recipe lists of the night before, and a few handfuls of corn chips that were left open and beginning to stale. While my partner went to the coffee shop around the corner to pick up lattes, he opted for a bagel, and I figured the kitchen couldn't really get any messier, so I began emptying the refrigerator and created a satisfying tasty plate of Chiliquiles that kicked the previous weeks restaurant offerings butt.
A final note
This site is meant to be an evolving experience. I fall into the majority of the population when I consider myself mostly health conscious part of the time. Some recipes are designed to highlight the fresh sensory experience of simple, minimally altered dishes, while others are steeped with indulgent renderings of meats, creams of this or that, salt, fat, and booze.
Welcome, and enjoy!
