A Delicious 2020 Start for Yumday
January whizzed by, and for some reason it felt like 100 weeks AND one week at the same time. Even though that first month of 2020 is already way in the past, it was a good month full of new recipes and food experiences. I made a couple of delicious bean dishes, which reminded me of how much I love black-eyed peas and why I should be eating beans more regularly. I learned how to make shrimp tempura for National Tempura Day, even though it probably would've been easier to get a to-go order from a nearby Japanese restaurant. (Btw, it turned out pretty well!) I drove more than 90 miles to a small town to get gourmet popcorn for National Popcorn Day. Read more about that popcorn here. I discovered a new neighborhood cheese shop in my quest to find Humboldt Fog for National Cheese Lovers Day. (There was a Humboldt Fog shortage at Whole Foods—gasp!—but I stumbled upon a tiny cheese shop that had just received a new wheel. And I got the first cut! I'll need to write about that experience soon. 😉) I learned how to make blonde brownies from scratch, as well as a rhubarb pie from scratch, and I am growing in my confidence as a baker every day!
In addition to cooking and eating new dishes, I've also spent the past month sharpening my focus on Yumday and how to turn my personal passion into a dream career. During the month, I really challenged myself to work on food photography and styling. I've always been an avid photographer, but now I'm learning to work with studio lights for my food photos and figuring out how to style my dishes—which can be challenging especially when you're dealing with a very monochromatic palette. I also purchased some new backdrops from Replica Surfaces at the end of last year, and they have really helped me think more creatively about how to style and position my food.
I'm looking forward to the months ahead for Yumday. I'm excited about growing as a content creator, and I'm eager to push my photography and writing even further. Food has always been a way for me to connect with people and places, and there's nothing I'd love more than to share my food stories—as well as the stories of others—to strengthen those connections with the world around me. ✨