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photo courtesy chotda

I mentioned several posts ago that I am a magazine junkie. I was reading Success magazine when I came across a successful entrepreneur who combined her love for food, culture and environmentalism into a business–the chocolate business to be exact.

What’s the big deal about organic chocolate? Well, after earning a degree in psychology and chemistry fron Vanderbilt and diplomas in cuisine and pastry from Le Cordon Bleu, Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s founder Katrina Markoff traveled around the world as a chef acquiring an eclectic taste that would later resonate in her chocolate creations.

I’ll delve a little deeper into her unique product in the Sable Lit Reviews Newsletter, but Markoff’s story got me to thinking about my own food adventures.

I wrote previously about how you can learn of a culture through its foods and how its people feel about food.  My food experience was always very limited. While I have roots in the south by way of my grandparents and great-grandparents,  very few culturally distinctive foods were passed down.

Sure, I have a great sweet potato pie recipe that’s been passed down and my dad use to make a killer dumpling (although I did get tired of the boiled chicken that went with it) but that was about it.

I remember wrinkling my nose at foods that were not traditionally eaten in my home growing up.  That is, until I was challenged to try calamari. I could I say I didn’t like it? At the time, I had never had it. (I was that kid who refused to try chitterlings and pigs feet!) I gave it a try and loved it. Now I love fresh blueberries, clam chowder and even sushi. Not just California Rolls but real raw sushi!

Looking for a simple way to broaden your mind?  Expand your pallete.

Related Posts:

• Chocolate and Romance