Food stories

Here's a little secret. I love being nominated for stuff. It doesn't really matter if I end up winning, it's the nomination itself that counts in my book.

I remember being nominated for an  award in an Indo-Japanese painting competition when I was about 12. The nomination arrived with a little orange certificate that said something along the lines of: "You are one of the finalists chosen to further Indo-Japanese peace and friendship". I'm not quite sure what element of my painting led to that nomination - it was a jungle scenery inspired mainly by the Lion King as far as I can remember. Not particularly Indian nor Japanese... oh well.

The orange certificate offered hours of happy musings on what I'd do if I did indeed win. I think I imagined it would have involved a trip to Japan (yup, I was born with itchy feet). In the end it turned out all the nominees had won in a way, the paintings were exhibited somewhere in Japan. And that was the end of that.

Here's another little secret. I have a reputation for always having random stories in my back pocket (some people I know call the habit "constant rambling" :) but never mind that). Turns out my stories have been appreciated by a few which brings me to the point of this post - one that brings together my love for nominations and constant rambling. I'm now a proud Food Stories Award Nominee! Visit http://foodstoriesblog.com/food-stories-award/ to check out the details.

The person responsible for this happy turn of events is food blogger (and fellow Goan) Drina Cabral of www.eaternalzest.com, whose own food stories, recipes and lush photography have left me drooling on many lunchtime trawls on the internet for culinary and travel inspiration.

So, what happens next?

Apparently I need to share something random about myself. I'll keep it in the spirit of story-telling and say this: I have a thing for cruises. Cheesy some might say, but if there is a river or lake in a city I visit and the opportunity to cruise along on it, I will. I've done it in Moscow, Hoi An, Istanbul, Geneva, the Rhineland, Niagara on the Lake and several other places. If it's a place you can have a meal on the water, like the Douro cruises in Portugal or the dhow cruises in Dubai, that's even better :)

Anyway, there are so many great food story-tellers out there, the Food Stories blog is a great way to discover new ones everyday. In addition to Drina's great blog at www.eaternalzest.com here are 5 of my favourites:

The Hedonista - a blog by a lady after my own heart, combining food & travel www.thehedonista.com

Ginger and Scotch - more food stories and jaunts by a fellow expat in Dubai www.gingerandscotch.com

D is for Delicious - a great story-telling voice and an enthusiastic explorer of multi-cultural cuisine www.dfordelicious.com

Food soldier - always readable, always witty, always inspired by food :) www.thefoodsoldier.blogspot.com

And finally... the petite little Frying Pan Lady who truly understands why great food has nothing to do with megabucks or a designer dining room www.iliveinafryingpan.com

Happy reading!