Traveling around the world for many years as a fashion model I became very aware of delicious and often expensive food.
If I had only known then what an amazing impact those years would have on my life today!
While being immersed in a variety of cultures, I was able to go to remote places where I enjoyed the local food. In awe, I watched as it was made with all the love and finesse of a master at work. What was so inspiring was the unadulterated passion that this food created in both the creator and the recipients. It was an art form, not something to be done with a prosaic attitude. It spoke to the artisan in me. I wanted to create with a ‘Joie de vivre’. I wanted to carry through with this attitude, in even more than this one simple expression of living. I wanted to inspire others, as I was inspired.
Fast forward a few years and with the addition of a wonderful family of men that love to eat about as much as I do, I then wanted to replicate these dishes on a middle income budget suited for a family of 6.
We spent 4 years in England where cooking is still revered and respected. Our favorite meals were prepared with fresh, preservative free food in the restaurants and homes we frequented. Gardening is a practice that both lower and upper income families enjoy. Families still emphasised eating together at least once a day. It freed my soul and brought a whole new level of awaking to my already convinced mind. Food is an inspired expression of cultures and times. It frees people to enjoy all that this pleasure has to offer while still maintaining a modest budget. In a home that has this underlying desire, you will never feel like you were eating anything but fare meant for a King.
I want to inspire our readers to be a life long students in the diverse culinary practices of the world, and rid them selves of the idea that processed food is either healthy or the only option for their families and friends.
Whether you make a nominal amount of money or have only a limited amount of time to prepare your food, there are wonderful expressions of dining both in home and out which only have to be discovered. Don’t make the mistake that so many unknowing Americans make, that of not being able to recreate gourmet food on a frugal budget. Web sites like my own, gourmetcookingonadime.com and many others can direct you to recipes and ideas that are inspired from around the world, and also walk you through the steps needed to help you eat in a way that not only edifies your body but also your mind and spirit.
Come along with me as I explore the wonderful avenues the world has to offer to anyone who wants to enjoy all aspects of eating, while still being able to live within your budget.
