Sempre ubi sub ubi

I couldn’t be more surprised and touched to read that Lis of La Mia Cucina nominated me for a Thinking Blogger Award. Coming from her this is a huge compliment. Lis is a generous food blogger who opened up her arms to me when I was fairly new on the block. She embodies unabashed celebration and enthusiasm for life and dishes it all up with a sly dose of humor. This honor happens to fall a little after my one year anniversary and is cause for reflection. Like a lot of food bloggers, I jumped in without much forethought. I accidentally stumbled upon my first blog in the desperate search for a lost peanut butter cookie recipe published in Saveur Magazine (99-01?) years before. I knew that I had to participate in spite of the fact that I had stopped literally cooking at least two years prior. For me, the blogosphere was “the new frontier”, a way to meet friends close and afar. Having recently left the west coast and being newly non-ambulatory, traditional meet and greet was an obstacle for me but the internet required neither passport nor particularly strong legs to cross borders.

My second intention for blogging was a bit more abstract. Simply put it was to be able to feed my own life and paint a poem of beauty. Callipygia is the pen name I chose to embody that spirit. It roughly translates to she-who-possesses-beautifully-shaped-buttocks. I do not-- but aspire to daily both literally and figuratively. Cooking has always been a metaphor about nourishment and desire and the appetite that leads the way to both. And the loss of mobility? What I have learned most from this ongoing lesson is that -Life is alive down to the smallest particle. That unassuming bit is always finding a way to express itself and magnify. This is what I hope the blog to be, a way to discover and join these various expressions together: a myriad of waving parts, micro-movement and joy into one digestible delight, we all need to eat!

Without further ado I express thanks and nominate a few fellow bloggers who add shimmering dimension to my world:

Gattina of Kitchen Unplugged- Imagination: She thinks and tastes with color and completely blows me away with her creations that pair unlikely ingredients. The world is her palette and I’ve always wondered if she has a legion of hungry eaters hiding within her apron pockets. Open minded with a hungry eye for detail, Gattina is a true artist.

Lydia of The Perfect Pantry- Catalyst: Her ingenious pantry item showcasings are like culinary flashcards. These building blocks become etched upon my mind serving as inspiration and reminder. Unwittingly she shows me that we each have our own “perfect pantry” and vast ability to share it with others. She makes learning natural and fun...and have you seen her kitchen?

Sher of What did you Eat?- Grace: Sher exudes an ease that comes from relaxation, balance and enjoyment (not to mention good ole’ Californian living). Her food seems to be an extension of that unspoken philosophy. While reading her blog I truly feel I am sitting within her garden/kitchen. Her blog is unspoken invitation to find the grace within my own life.

D-man of Sourdough Monkey Wrangler- Resourcefulness and creativity: I am a fan of whimsy and free spiritedness and D-man’s blog is loaded with it. Making salt…muffin money? Quick make a monkey line to SMW!

Freya and Paul of Writing at the Kitchen Table- Discovery: These two write a lively dialogue of their cooking adventures. They capture the joy and challenge of eating well all while maintaining humor, interest and a relationship. Process is the keystone to living and they remind me to keep on looking and learning.

Now that you've been nominated, get thinking...what five blogs make you think? Write about them with links and proudly display your award front center on your blog shelf.