Vinaigrette

Hi. My name is Emily, and my life revolves around food. It is the one thing that connects all the other pieces, like a simple vinaigrette melding the flavors of a chopped salad. This is not a new passion, but one that started at a young age when I first learned to make a vinaigrette with my dad. Just Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil-shaken, not whisked. The way the ingredients hesitated to combine at first, then emulsified into one creamy sauce sparked a fascination with food that has stayed with me to this day.

To avoid sounding a little obsessed, I will say that I have other interests. Science, art, travel-they just all happen to get tied into food somehow. That dressing finds its way into every crevasse, coating each ingredient lightly. I like knowing the origins of food including the history and culture associated with the people who make it. Despite recent strides like the organic, Slow Food, and localvore food movements, food seems to be causing more problems than solutions. The serious dilemmas of a world with too much food concern me. Obesity, starvation, disease, allergies, additives, and genetically modified foods are issues that affect gourmands and simple eaters alike, and I want to explore them. From smoked salmon to Salmonella, the world of food never ceases to amaze me. I can only hope there will always be enough Dijon vinaigrette to make my salad come together, without leaving a pool at the bottom of the bowl.