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That's me cooking on a comal in Oaxaca. Photo courtesy of my friend J.L. |
Surgical resident. Ex-chemist. Baker. Traveler. Cook. Trekkie. Photographer. Writer. Daughter. Wife. Friend. Giver of belly rubs and treats (dogs only... it's a little awkward with humans). Closeted Lady Gaga fan.
How many hats can one wear?
I'm Marie, but you'll also find me under the screenname Moowiesqrd. When my little cousin was a toddler (and she's done with college... oy), she pronounced my name "moo-wie". The "sqrd" part comes from the fact that everybody and their mother's middle name is Marie. I met someone who said that it was so prevalent that he was just going to call me Marie Squared.
I found it funny... don't judge.
I love food and I believe a good meal can be found anywhere. This is an ongoing story of good eating. It has roots in Los Angeles, much of the material from San Diego, a stop in Omaha, another in Phoenix, and back to Los Angeles. Food is such an integral part of our lives and I love making, photographing, and writing about it.
For a couple of years before medical school, I wrote a biweekly column over at San Diego CityBeat called Wandering Appetite. I had a blast writing about interesting eats throughout San Diego County.
Even though the journey has taken me halfway around the country and back to Los Angeles, I continue to eat and explore. My writing and this website have been through its own meandering evolution and will always be a work in progress.
About Meandering Eats
Meandering Eats started as Adventures of an Amateur Foodie in August 2007. It was originally a journal of my exploration of San Diego's restaurants. It expanded to traveling and home-cooking, with traffic and attention building in 2008. Right when things were moving along nicely for my little blog, I stopped.
Why stop?
I needed time off to truly, once-and-for-all deal with my issues with depression. Along the way, I was married to my wonderful, amazing, patient, awesome (sappy, sappy, sappy) sweetheart. There might have been a little kicking and screaming along the way. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out whether or not I wanted to continue my career in research or switch to medicine, where I can work directly with people. The next thing I knew, I was up to my elbows in MCAT prep materials and an overwhelming sense of peace. I was finally doing what I really wanted to do: use the analytical skills from my scientific background to work with and help people. To hell with statistics, which say that given my age, undergraduate GPA, and "non-traditional" attributes, I will face a very difficult application process.
I've spent the last few years battling demons, be it personal or medical school application-related.
In 2011, I went to Food Blog Camp to figure out what I wanted to do with the blog. I came out with a refreshed passion for photography, which was always my first love. My writing became a lot more inspired. I started meeting other bloggers and became much more active within the food blogging community. As I learned more about food blogging and watched its evolution as an industry, I realized it wasn't for me. I just wanted to write in my own little corner of the internet.
It's still the adventures of a lifelong student of all things culinary, but as I bounce from planning my trips around food, to my kitchen projects, and to the restaurants of my adopted hometowns of San Diego, Omaha, and Phoenix, it's clear that Meandering Eats is a far more fitting name.
It kicked off with this first post and in 2012, I've decided to steer Meandering Eats away from random recipes and restaurant reports to storytelling with food. Traveling? Hopefully you'll find a tip or two here. Traveling to San Diego? Check out my recommendations. Can't travel all the time? Neither can I, but I will be "traveling" through recipes from all over the world in my kitchen. Just love to share funny and ridiculous stories from life? You're at the right place.
Thanks for stopping by! Please be sure to share your own adventures and travels... I'd love to hear from you!
Comments
I love comments, even though I'm terrible at replying to them, so please leave your thoughts and feedback. Email me at Marie {at} meanderingeats {dot} com if you want to discuss anything that you don't feel comfortable leaving in a comment. Please be nice... and if you decide not to be, comments are moderated. I also ask that you not use the comments section as a means to promote yourself/your site.
Re-use of material
Meandering Eats is protected under a Creative Commons license. Please do not use photos or text without permission and email me if you are interested in using anything from Meandering Eats or its predecessor, Adventures of an Amateur Foodie.
In other words, don't steal my stuff. It's not cool.
