Publisher: strawberryplum |

ABOUT The BlogStrawberries For years, family and friends have been hassling me to “do something with food”. My standard response was always that I do some combination of cooking it, eating it, and serving it everyday. What more did they want of me? Finally, I caved. I realized that some pretty delicious stuff has been coming out of my kitchen for years but I probably couldn’t tell you the last five baked goods I made or the birthday dinner I made for Matt in 2009. And even if I could remember these dishes, there’s no way I’d ever be able to recreate them. So in September 2012, I made the decision to finally “do something with food” and strawberryplum.com was born. On this blog, you will find a record of tasty food that comes out of my kitchen. I take pictures and write recipes so you’ll be able to recreate the same dishes in your own kitchen. I cook by the seasons, the occasion, and my mood. I find inspiration in old memories, new travel experiences, and the countless passionate cooks and eaters I’ve worked with over the years. You might ask, why “Strawberry Plum”? Well, it’s actually kind of unappetizing, but if you want half the story behind the name, you could read this post. Basically, it boils down to me having a love for produce at the peak of its perfection. And no self-control. I hope you’ll stop back often and you find some cooking inspiration in my recipes and photos. Happy eating! Get to Know Sarah Sarah with Cake You’ve probably pieced the key things together by now; my name is Sarah and I like to cook. That’s all you really need to know, but if you’re hungry for more, here’s a little background. I’ve spent 15 years working in restaurants. My work life is spent in the dining room and I save the cooking for home. You might ask why I don’t cook professionally if I love doing it so much. Well, that’s the thing. I cook because I like to and don’t want to cook because I have to. Plus, I’m a bossy, control-freak and couldn’t stand following someone else’s recipes. That’s why I have a blog instead. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It’s important for you to know this so you’ll understand why I’m complaining about snow storms in May and why my “seasonal” recipes seem to lag a couple of weeks behind blogs written from, say, California. I live only about 10 miles away from where I was born and have for my entire life. I could think of this as very boring, but instead I choose to see it an excuse to travel and explore other parts of the world. You’ll see recipe inspiration coming from my travels in France, Italy, and Croatia, as well as around the Midwest and the rest of the US. Sometimes I wish the pictures on my blog were better, but the fact is I write a very real-life blog. I cook for myself, my fiancé, my friends, and my family. I take pictures and write for the internet community. It’s not that I don’t love you, it’s just that I don’t want to fuss with light boxes for too long when there’s a bowl of pasta dying and a table full of people waiting for me. Feel free to leave a comment for me. I love hearing from readers, whether it’s a question about a recipe, helpful feedback, or just a friendly introduction. Meet the Tasting Panel Matt in CroatiaMATT (The Well-Fed Boyfriend) Matt is boyfriend of many years. How many? Enough that I’m starting to lose track. Actually, he’s my fiancé, but mentioning that always leads to people asking when the wedding is and the truth is, neither of us has quite gotten around to planning one. Oops. One of these days. I’ll let you know when it happens. We’ve got lot in common: Matt likes to cook, eat, and travel. Just like me. But not like me, he really likes making excel spreadsheets, watching football, and listening to top 40 music. Matt works too much, but he still finds time to cook for me on occasion. I always know he’s cooking from about a block away as blasting music seems to help him in the kitchen. He has 2 special sauces that he’s very proud of: a cilantro and lime-packed chimichurri and, my favorite, a grilled red pepper and onion sauce that I could consume by the quart. He also claims to be an amazing baker, but I’ve yet to see the evidence… SammySAMMY (aka BUTTER BOY) Sammy is a rescue lab mix…not. Actually, he’s a labradoodle that I often need rescuing from. He logs more hours in the kitchen than me or Matt, curled up next to the fridge or lazing under the table. Sammy loves butter and lives for the moment when I turn my back on a softening stick and he can swallow it up whole. His other favorite edibles (though he and I might debate what constitutes “edible”) include raspberries right off the bush, dirty socks, and anything out of the kitchen trash.