Cheers, my friends!
As I bid adieu to a year almost over, I must admit, I am quite happy to see it go. Here is to new beginnings, happier times, and a peaceful year ahead. I welcome you to join me on my journey. A journey of culinary experiences. Restaurants - small and large, known and hidden, fast and fancy! Home cooking - simple, complex, rushed, and everything in between. And food in general - thoughts, feelings, chocolates that soothe the soul, etc.
In my farewell to 2016, I must thank it for one thing - an Old Fashioned. As pictured, an Old Fashioned is a delicious drink that I happened upon in Portland, Oregon. Yes, it is a classic drink - Yes, most people probably know about it - No, I really had never had one before this year. It's a simple drink really - sugar and orange bitters muddled together, a shot of bourbon on top, a XL square ice cube and a rind of fresh citrus. But boy was it delicious! I must attribute some of its pleasure to the atmosphere itself.
The husband and I were in Portland for a long weekend - and we happened upon this small bar/lounge. Very mellow, a little romantic, and filled with people like us - aging millennials, just looking for peace and happiness - and no labels. The place is called "The Box Social" and was filled with bottles of all kinds - and lovely lighting - a tasteful peacock design on the top shelf. (For more pictures: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-box-social-portland & http://www.bxsocial.com/)
As the light outside dimmed and we worked our way through our first drinks - non-memorable now - the atmosphere and our conversation turned gentle and pleasant. As we decided on a spur to order a second round of drinks - very uncommon for us - I picked out an Old Fashioned. I also ordered a bowl of goldfish - yes, the crackers from our childhood. The combo was so delightful - a happy memory of warm candles, loving company, the end of a day exploring a new city, and a delicious drink with a childhood snack. It's the moment I want to take from this year - it's the moment I want to relish in years to come.
Our world is full of negatives - thoughts, actions, events. We often forget to look at the positives, the moments that made us warm and fuzzy, the events that actually spurred positive emotions. But food? It comes to life for me - it brings me a lot of the positive moments. If I ponder over food, I can grasp the positive moments of life. And I hope - so can you!
