FoodBuzz Project Food Blog Challenge #1 ? Ethnic Smorgasbord

Salted Caramel Brownies

Deep inside of me I have always wanted to be a star chef, be the next star on Food Network or just attend MasterChef but never taken the chance to switch careers or had an opportunity to.   

Today this opportunity came up and I jumped on it! I?m competing in the FoodBuzz challenge, The Project Food Blog 2010. The Project Food Blog 2010 is an interactive food competition where over 2,000 featured publishers (food bloggers) will compete in a virtual culinary cooking contest. There will be 10 blog challenges over the next 4 months. Each challenge will be followed by a voting period and if you pass you get to move on to the next challenge.  The one food blogger left standing will win $10,000 and a chance to be featured on FoodBuzz for a year.   

For the first challenge in The Project Food Blog 2010, we have to tell the world: what defines you as a food blogger and why should you be the next food blog star?   

So, these are my stories, my dreams and my hopes for Delishhh.   

The Best Minestrone

I have to start at the beginning. I was born into a family of gourmet cooks that stirred my passion for food.  My mother is of Easter European origin and my father of Swedish origin.  I was born and raised most in Sweden, but we moved to South East Asia and traveled all around until I ended up in the United States.   

At a very young age I was dragged around the world and introduced to all kinds of cuisines.   

Thai Crab Cakes

Our family dinners were always an ethnic smorgasbord and including anything from home made cheeses, to pickled herring, to spicy Thai chicken soups. As we lived in SE Asia there were many western food items that were not available to us, hence, the home made cheeses.  We had to learn how to make our ordinary food items from scratch.   

Bulgogi

My parents loved to cook, entertain and try new things and places.  As a kid I watched and learned and I was the ?assistant? in the kitchen.  Three days before a dinner party a menu was set, and groceries bought.  And days before we would be in the kitchen cooking starting at 6am to late at night preparing everything from stocks, to pâté?s, to gravlax.  It was my parents who taught me that cooking is an art; anyone can cook from a recipe, but not everyone can create something special from within.  Those are the words that stick with me. To this day, I am always trying to challenge myself. When I go out and eat, if I really like something, I try to go home and recreate it, sometimes with success and sometimes with failure.  But that is part of growing as an artist.   

Poached Egg

Until now, all I did with my inner chef was to cook for my family and friends.  I love to entertain and try new things, introduce people to cuisines from all around the world and see people?s faces as they eat what I created.  It is a great feeling of accomplishment.   

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My love for food, cooking and entertaining was just a hobby on the side and I always wanted to figure out what else I could do with it.   

That is when I started Delishhh, my pet project, to not only jot down my recipes, but to document and be able to share with others.   

Delishhh has been a huge satisfaction to me, the same way when I see people eating my food.  I have been able to use my technical computer skills and on the way, I have discovered a new and exciting hobby: photography.  I never thought I would enjoy taking still pictures of food but as it turns out it is almost as much fun as cooking and eating.   

Pumpkin Muffins

I hope you join me in my culinary challenges and share my dream to become a star chef!   

Please become a follower by subscribing!     

Voting opens on The Project Food Blog 2010 at 6:00 am Pacific Time September 20th and voting closes 6:00 pm Pacific Time September 23rd.   

Challenges are voted on by Foodbuzz Featured Publisher peers and rated by a panel of judges including: Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of FOOD & WINE Magazine, Nancy Silverton, Founder La Brea Bakery, Co-owner Mozza, Pim Techamuanvivit, Author of ChezPim and The Foodie Handbook.