Several years back I was eating enchiladas and salsa verde with baby Anni in my favorite throw-down Mexican restaurant. A foursome in the booth behind me elevated their voices for a ridiculous amount of time complaining about Facebook and social media. “How it’s never going to last”… I was all-hands-on-deck with my infant but those sentiments and the strident “know it all” attitude with which they were audibly force-fed to the restaurant has stuck with me these years as I’ve come to learn and LOVE social media.
Social media is simply the modern version of networking. Like going to the library and the book store and University all at once. Its connecting people of similar interests (mostly positive, some slutty) in a pleasantly displayed and easy to navigate way. Opening doors to interesting new ideas as well as news, fashions, foods, and advice. From my Victorian-era farmhouse in Sonoma, social media connects me with the modern world. I may live a vintage-inspired life cooking, growing food, raising my kids without TV and with a lot of art… But I still want to connect to all the great recipes and food ideas out there. With just my smart phone, I custom tailor my news feed to include new dishes, seasonal garden news, positive parenting tips, notes to my Mom or from a friend, something about wine, scheduling play dates, and browsing cute dresses. All in 5-10 minutes. And then return to my Day as Mom, Artist, Cook, and Wife.
We enjoyed cocktails last night with some friends here on the Islands. They live “off the grid” electronically and I took some good hearted ribbing about my online life. Because I wouldn’t change a thing about “meeting” fellow foodies and people like me — people who want to continually discover new ideas, explore the beauty and foods in this gloriously diverse world. THIS is how we connect. A way to better ourselves. And it’s Free and easy.
For example, just yesterday I learned (and shared) the following on Facebook and Instagram ( @Abisfarmhousekitchen )
1.) To shave Kaffir Limes into cilantro rice for a new side dish to fish. And skip the pulp.
2.) A new take on the old Classic of PB&J from @theculinistas
3.) That a wonderful reader is cooking from my recipes in Norway… She made my Red Wine Braised Short Ribs and wrote to thank me! I am beyond grateful. Recipe: https://abisfarmhousekitchen.com/?p=588
4.) And that astronauts can’t just garnish their rehydrated meals with salt or pepper. Or chili flakes. That astronauts on the International Space Station have to drench spicing in olive oil and then aim and *precision quirt* onto the dish. Isn’t that fascinating? You can listen to Commander Hadfield talk with NPR’s Splendid Table here: http://www.splendidtable.org/story/col-chris-hadfield-an-astronauts-guide-to-eating-in-space
This is a lumbering post I fear but the short version is that I strongly feel we should all be learning and striving to improve our minds and our plates each and every day. Social media is an excellent tool to that end. Enough said.
Back to being a Mom. Happy eating! And I hope, Happy Reading.