My name is Erin, and for me, cooking is always in season. I am most inspired by love and creativity, and food is an expression of both.
I formerly worked in the fashion industry, but I now work in the kitchen… actually the classroom as a high school Family & Consumer Sciences teacher. My obsessions of reading cookbooks like novels (they certainly tell stories!), collecting culinary tidbits from magazines, and being inventive in the kitchen are now “work-related.” How delicious!
In my family of Southern cooks, dishes are not only the meal but also the table conversation. It is only natural that I love discussing and sharing recipes as much as I enjoy tasting them. I love a nice meal, but I love it most when it is shared with family and friends. Thank you for letting me share with you!
Love,
Erin
erinhsnead@gmail.com
erinhsnead@gmail.com
why "season"?
Many connotations are associated with the word season. In culinary jargon, it means to enhance the taste of food with herbs, spices, or other flavorings. Seasoning not only improves the taste of food, but also the way it looks on the plate. It’s the pinch of sugar my mother puts in her pimento cheese spread and the bit of paprika I sprinkle on mine … the specs of cayenne pepper atop a dollop of sour cream, crowning a heaping plate of Huevos Rancheros… the hint of lemon zest detected in crab cakes, cheesecakes, and blueberry pancakes… All of these seasonings render food delicious to the eyes and taste buds. Often seasonings are more than ingredients, but are the “secrets” behind our favorite dishes, leaving us proud when we bring them to the table.
Season also implies leaves changing color in the Fall, casseroles and hot chocolate in the Winter, the last frost in early Spring, and the sticky heat of Summer that sends most of us Southerners to the lake or beach as often as schedules allow. Within each calendar season there falls a handful of holidays and all of the seasonal dishes that go with them. In my family, there is not a holiday where we don’t gather ‘round the table—be it the dining room table or a picnic table—and enjoy a meal.
Lastly, life has its seasons. Graduations… First Dates…Weddings… Bringing Home Baby… You Got the Job!… The “Big” Football Game…Birthdays… Food is involved with each of these monumental occasions whether it be a celebratory dinner, open house, or Belgian waffles piled on plate printed with “You Are Special” around the rim. A special meal with special people can make a special event even more memorable. Just as we season our favorite dishes, they in turn season the occasions we cherish.