I just wrapped up a busy weekend at BlogHer Food 2011 and it really got me thinking. Thinking about Dixie Caviar, and how far I've come over the past few years. From my lowly beginnings at "Kitch Potato" (with my dinky point and shoot), to building a brand that I'm so proud of, to spreading the Southern food gospel over at The Kitchn and Cooking Channel. Come on, someone pinch me already! I can't even imagine what the next few years will bring, but I do know how lucky I am to love what I do. While I'm waxing poetic, I want to reinstate my mission here at Dixie Caviar. At the conference I had a chance to share my "pitch" with lots of new faces. And that pitch is simply this: Dixie Caviar is here to breathe new life into Southern cooking. I want to dump the notion that we eat butter on a stick and lard on our toast -- let's just throw that idea out the window. We don't eat casseroles at every meal, and we don't eat layer cakes for breakfast. (Well, maybe that last one is true. wink.) For me at least, it really is all about balance! I may enjoy Beer-battered Cajun Fries or MoonPie Banana Pudding on more than one occasion, but it doesn't mean I don't know how to make a mean salad. (I do.) Or that some days a spoonful of peanut butter and a fresh fruit smoothie are all I need to satisfy.
Dixie Caviar also represents the style of food that comes out of my kitchen. Southern cuisine is evolving everyday, and I want to evolve with it. Not only is "local" and "seasonal" all the rage (hey, wasn't that the only stuff available when my grandma cooked?), but ethnic cuisine is influencing our food, as well. Think black-eyed pea refried beans and Chinese steamed buns with smoked pork belly. Um, that's what I'm talking about!
This is the place where I share the food that inspires me, be it a hand-me-down recipe from Nana or one of my very own creations. I don't want to be confined to strictly Southern, but I don't want to stray too far, either. I hope you'll continue to join me here as I learn and grow. And don't be afraid to get in on the conversation -- let's make Dixie Caviar the best Southern cooking resource online!!
P.S. - Sorry about the lack of regular programming. I'm hoping life will get back to normal after IACP in Austin next week (It's my first time! I'm so excited!). In the meantime, check out what I've been up to around the rest of the world wide web. Just click on the photo to follow the link...
At "The Kitchn"
At "Cooking Channel"
