Tricia: I'm a closeted foodie

Greetings viewers! Tricia here.

Confession #1: Bloggers used to annoy me.
I used to hate people who blogged about their life, experiences and their favorite breeds of cats. I found people who blogged to be people who stayed in like hermits, sitting in front of their computer and writing for hours discussing on where to get the best scrapbooking supplies and debating on who is hotter, RPatz or Taylor. But up until I read 2 of my friends' blogs this year, I realized how satisfying it is to record and share your thoughts on a particular subject on a site where people can follow and comment. And if they didn't give a crap about what was said, all they had to do was close the window and walk away. Freedom, people, is where it's at.

Confession #2: I'm a closeted foodie
I've lived in Ithaca for the past 6 years and it wasn't until I met Siddharth that I really ventured out in Ithaca (and later, outside of NY) to try cuisines and certain spices outside of my comfort zone. If you don't know me already, I'm a first generation Asian-American and my parents (especially my dad) rarely like to venture outside of the Chinese cuisine. I think it's because when they came to US for university, they missed authentic Chinese food so much that any chance for them to eat Chinese food, they would. (Although now these days, my dad is willing to eat any cuisine, as long as it's a buffet). My family would rarely go out for Italian food unless we're too lazy to cook rice and just wanted greasy pizza. I don't even think I tried a lasagna until I was in my teens! And spicy foods? You can FORGET ABOUT IT.

So when I entered university, I used my freedom to avoid Chinese food altogether. Besides experiencing an assortment of (cheap) beer, I sought out the many cuisines Ithaca had to offer: Thai, Greek, Indian, Mexican, South American, Moroccan, Korean, and the best of all, baked goods. (Ithaca Bakery is probably my happy place. Siddharth and I share the common love of flakey pastries, plump bagels and cookies galore.) Since then, I've always been up for trying something new and interesting, of course with limits. I don't think eating dog meat is appealing.

Confession #3: The food blog was MY idea
Ok, it's not really a confession, but I figure it would be a segue to tell my readers how this blog came about. It all started when I took my first picture of an interesting sushi dish I had at Shibuya. It was basically a seafood salad in a V-bottom glass bowl that was floating on top of a fishbowl with an actual fish! I was so surprised (mind you, I'm more use to carrots that are carved into fish shapes as garnishes in Chinese dishes) because it made me realize there is so much creativity that can be included into a simple delicious dish to make it more memorable. I'm all about the taste, but presentation and creativity usually take the cake. I shared this picture with my family and friends over the beautiful casinos I visited in Las Vegas. Now, most of my photos from my vacation are the foods I eat. Even my current computer background is a slide show of all the interesting dishes I've come across in 2 years.

Then, Food Network started airing a show called "The Best Thing I ever Ate" and I got hooked. I loved how all the famous TV personalities spent 30 minutes naming their most memorable dish in a certain category (i.e. spicy foods, BBQ, dessert, chocolate). Every episode I watched, I would imagine myself being on that show and naming my most memorable dish. And then I thought to myself, "why not just write them down?" So here it is, a blog naming the many memorable dishes I've had and where you can enjoy them yourself. Enjoy our listings of interesting and delicious dishes. And if you have any suggestions, agreements or disagreements, we welcome them. Keep our list going, eating is no longer a necessity but a luxury.