This started in a conversation before Christmas. We ate pudding truffles and revealed our dream jobs. Someone wanted to be a stuntman; another wanted to open an Easyway. Mine was to be a globe-trotting person who eats and cooks. Of course a friend asked, “do you have a blog?”
A day later, I bumped into Philiad. He was the first person I know to have his own blog, when blogging was still finding its identity as something more than a cyber diary. He went to South America after our arts degrees while we trotted off to law school. I made it to South America 6 years later but, by then, he had moved away.
Here is another blog on cooking and eating. This is where I write about learning in the kitchen, experiments in smell, colour, texture and taste, and the fun of cooking for large groups of friends. In a small way, this is also travelling through a kitchen and cookbooks.
Musings
Rather than the usual ‘get to know me’ stuff, here are answers to a few questions posed by WordPress Daily Prompts (updated December 2012):
If you were asked to spend a year living in a different location, where would you choose and why?
Bolivia.
A friend and I have decided when we take a 12 month break from work, we will go to La Paz, Bolivia, start a blog Two Lawyers and a Llama, which will turn into a multi-million dollar book and movie deal.
More seriously —
Of the South American countries we visited, Bolivia seemed to retain more of its indigenous culture. Although the Church co-opted indigenous celebrations into Catholic rites, religion was expressed in ways that I have not seen anywhere else – the Jesuit Missions in the Chiquitania for example, or the carving of indigenous goddess figure Pachamama on La Paz cathedral’s facade (oops?).
I was fascinated by the women walking around with tall bowler hats, voluminous colourful skirts laced with dirt, and blankets wrapped around babies. Feeling the high altitude (even after two weeks on the Altiplano), we ambled up precarious steps in the La Paz central market behind old Pacena women, past stalls piled with llama foetuses.
We barely had time to scratch the surface of indigenous Bolivian cuisine. Just wait til Two Lawyers and a Llama gets off the ground…
A writer once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” which five people would you like to spend your time with?
1. Jane Austen – for her dry wit and character
2. Gertrude Bell – for an alternate early perspective of the Middle East (other than that of D. H. Lawrence) in Syria, the desert & the sown
3. Heston Blumenthal – to ask questions about the method in his madness
4. Thomas Pynchon – because he seems to spend time with no one, and because he introduced me to the Maxwell demon, Preterites, and the modern epic novel
5. David Lebovitz – to see how he develops his recipes
Whatta share house.
Share a picture which means surprise to you!
The original Kermitmobile, only in Newtown:
And…our manager’s office just before Christmas.
I would have spent time in Ecuador and would love to visit Bolivia – and I love David Leibovitz, ice cream god that he is. Thanks, Tracey
I have just nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award.
Hi and thanks for stopping by my blog today and liking my post! It’s great to meet you. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Love your funny comments. Ditto on Jane Austen. Love the kermitmobile. Thanks for visiting my blog. Happy adventures!
Thanks for visiting too, have a great day!
Thanks for visiting. Interesting to read about why people started blogs — reasons all over the map.
Also agree on South American cultures. I was fascinated by Peru – and all the adorable tiny, round women with those funny hats and colorful skirts 🙂 My husband and I are both tall so people kept wanting to take their pictures with us.
Looking forward to more from your blog.
Hello, thanks for stopping by, I really like your blog too!
I am short, so my husband jokes that we only went to Bolivia so I can know what it’s like to be tall. 🙂
🙂
Love that you have such variety on your blog–sweet and savory. And it all looks incredible. Nice to meet you and I want to thank you for stopping by foodforfun’s spring scone post. Appreciate the visit very much 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, I think your blog is great, I like your mint decadent cookies!
thanks 🙂 reading your most recent post I smiled at your mention of “autumn” and persimmons. had to check the date as it’s spring where I write from. Then realized you’re on the other end of the world. Love how blogging brings folks from all over together to read about universal truths such as cookies and cake!
thanks for finding my blog – I absolutely love yours!
I also like your blog – your avatar (is that the right word??) is really eye catching!
[…] 8. saucygander.wordpress.com […]
Hi there! I have nominated you for a Liebster award. Cottage Grove House 🙂
http://cottagegrovehouse.com/2013/05/07/liebster-award/
Hello, wow, thanks! It’s very kind of you to nominate me. 🙂
Thank you for following my blog! I think yours is awesome!
Just wanted to let you know I have featured your lovely blog for an award – http://applepiezucchini.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/awards/
Please don’t feel you have to put it up or do anything with this, I just wanted to say how much I like your stuff!
Rach
Wow, thank you so much! This has made my day! 🙂
Jane Austen and Thomas Pynchon (the Pynchon of Gravity’s Rainbow, V and the Crying of Lot 49–not the later stuff) – now what a dinner party that would be. (No implied criticism of the others, I just don’t know their work). I’d invite Sarah Waters, William Boyd and Ian Pears along too. I just subscribed to you, basically on the basis of your guest list. 🙂 Ken
Hello, that would be some dinner party!
I did an English honours presentation on Gravity’s Rainbow, and was mesmerised by Crying of Lot 49 a couple of years before that. Glad to “meet” someone who also enjoys the Pynchon of that period. 🙂
I’ve nominated your blog, for a Liebster Award. You can find out about it here: http://marriedinmarrickville.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/nomination-the-leibster-award/
Check it out & participate if you want – sharing the blog love…
Love MIM.
Wow, thanks!! Give me a few days til the weekend (this week has been crazy), and I will def participate.
I just wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for the Liebster Award.
Read more about your nomination here: http://frenchgirlcuisine.com/2013/05/24/the-liebster-award/
Hi, I’ve nominated you for the “I’m a part of the WordPress Family” Award so please check it out here: http://lovinghomemade.com/2013/05/30/awards/
Hi there, thanks so much! This has made my day. I will get onto this award soon. Thanks again!!
thanks for stopping by!what an interesting ‘about’ page:) and a lovely blog you have!
Awesome blog! 🙂
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by my blog! .travelling to South America is on my list too! First country for me would be Mexico, just because I know some Spanish and absolutely love Mexican food!..you have a lovely blog, ill read it regularly from now on 🙂 have a lovely day ~~
ciao! luvFAB blog.
thebestdressup
Thanks, and thanks for visiting!
Hi! I’ve nominated you for the Sunshine Award, so if you are interested please check out the link below for my post and the rules for accepting it. Please do not feel that you have to participate. Happy food blogging! http://fooddaydreaming.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/sunshine-award/
Thanks so much, it’s always so great to know others like reading this blog!
I love your blog and I am passing along the Blog of the Year 2013 Award to you. As usual, participation is optional. If interested, please visit this link: http://fooddaydreaming.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/awards/
Wow, thanks so much! I love your blog too – congrats on the award (and other awards)!
Now there’s a girl after my own heart.
Thanks!! Glad to have discovered your blog, and happy to have you visit too.
Hi! Thanks for your lovely comments and for stopped by my blog, I love yours as well! 🙂
Hi I have nominated you for the Sunshine award. Congrats and you can view the details at http://indusinternationalkitchen.com/2014/03/12/sunshine-award-feels-good-to-be-appreciated/
Thank you so much, it is good to be appreciated! 😀
Hi Saucy! I just noticed above that Indu has nominated you for the same award that I have! LOL! Oh, well, now you can have two! Come over to http://foodieonboard.com to see it!
Haha, thank you so much! I’ll add both to my virtual trophy cabinet! 😀
Hi, I started following your blog recently and love your sense of humour, especially in the section about yourself. Lovely posts, and beautiful pictures (I cannot have believed they are not taken with a DSLR!) Do check out my blog when you find the time.
When I first saw your name, I had to smile because my nickname amongst a group of my friends is “Saucy” (mostly to do with being known for my sauces but also to do with my personality, I suspect). Glad I found your site through Angie’s Fiesta Friday.
In Bolivia did you have the chance to visit any of the little floating islands? Fascinating!
I think we saw them from the shore, but we didn’t take a lake cruise so missed out actually getting to one. Would have liked to see up close how the reeds are made into islands!! Maybe next time..
Hey Saucy! Hope you are having an awesome week! I just wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award! I think you really deserve this award! For more information go to: http://foodieonboard.com/2014/04/23/so-many-thanks/
Wow, thank you so much!! I’m really happy to be nominated! 😀
Good to hear it, Saucy! You deserve it! 😀
Thanks for visiting my blog. Your photos look great for a blogger who doesn’t have a DSLR 😉
Thank you, I’ve been reading about your blog from people like Chef Mimi, and finally visited. I really enjoyed reading about your sous vide experiments!
[…] Saucy Gander […]
Hello!! I’ve nominated your lovely blog for two awards… check em out here! 🙂 http://kitchensmitten.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/gettin-awardy/
Hi Ayesha, wow, thank you so much, I’m truly honoured to be nominated!! 🙂
hi Saucy
I hope all is good 🙂 As I love your blog I have nominated you for a One Lovely Blog Award! I really enjoy following your blog and reading about unique and oh so delicious sounding recipes!
You can read about it here and I hope you will accept!
http://petra08.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/sweet-as-chocolate-cake-a-lovely-blog-award/
Hi Saucy,
Have you heard of “My Writing Process blog tour”? I hadn’t heard of it before, but it sounds really interesting! It’s another way for us bloggers to continue to get to know one another and be introduced to other blogs.
I’ve been invited to join the “My Writing Process” blog tour and have accepted for June 2nd, 2014. This tour rolls out across three new bloggers’ sites each week. So, I can invite three writers to carry the tour forward. I really admire your blog and think it would be interesting for more bloggers to hear about your writing process! I guess it’s essentially a chain letter of sorts, but a little bit more sophisticated!
Your date would be June 9, 2014. Please let me know if you’re interested. If you choose not to participate, that is completely fine with me too. Please just let me know, so I can ask other bloggers.
This is how it works:
Follow the steps below and post to your blog on the date given. Acknowledge the person who invited you and mention that the post is part of the My Writing Process Blog Tour; answer the four questions provided below, nominate (ask) three bloggers to follow with short bios and blog links for all.
FIRST: I’ll feature your on my blog on June 2nd, stating you’re next. Then it’s over to you to prepare your own blog post.
STEP ONE: Acknowledge the person & site that involved you in the blog tour. That’s me! Here’s the link to my blog: petra08.wordpress.com (Of course you might already know this! ☺)
STEP TWO: Answer the 4 questions below about your writing process:
1) What am I working on?
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3) Why do I write what I do?
4) How does your writing process work?
STEP THREE: Say who is on next week (your own chosen three) – give a brief bio and link to the website for each of them. Their date would be June 9, 2014.
Here’s a link to the blog tour post from the person who nominated the person who invited me, so you can see how it works:
http://foodieonboard.com/2014/05/26/writing-process-blog-tour/
I would love to learn a little more about you.
Please let me know if you’d like to participate ASAP, so I can ask others if need be. Thanks so much,
Petra
Hi Petra, sorry, I was away from the blog for a week and didn’t see your message. But I’ll head over to read your blog tour post now… and thank you for asking me!!
Hey Saucy! I have nominated you for an award! For more info, just go to: http://foodieonboard.com/2014/06/11/i-am-grateful/
Hi Saucy ! I can see I am not the only one who like your blog and loves reading your posts! I want to let you know that I have nominated you for The Quintet of Radiance Award 🙂 Congrats! You can accept it and check the details at: http://lapetitepaniere.com/2014/06/24/award-post/ Linda x
Hi Saucy, thanx for stopping by and liking and for your kind words…thatz really sweet….you have a very beautiful blog. …wait to hear from you…cheers…
Been thinking of you lately Miss Saucy and hope that all is well! Just wanted to let you know that you’ve been missed lately in the blogosphere! M.x
Hello Saucy! How are you doing? Hope everything is fine in your life! 🙂
Cheers,
Mila