I Cook with Color - Project Food Blog

I am a contestant in the foodbuzz sponsored event titled Project Food Blog. There will be a series of challenges and I am more than psyched to get in there and get busy, it will require participation on your part in the way of votes - voting starts on September 20th and continues until the 23rd, I will be asking for your vote.

Some of you might be new to my blog so here is a little background and an introduction of sorts. I have been blogging for five (5) years, the same blog, the same URL, its always been a little bit of christo but the blog name was called What? for a long time until I decided that in order for me to really let people get to know me then I should show them what I do best and that is cook. So three (3) years ago I changed the name to ChezWhat? to play on the French phrase for house of what, since a lot of French restaurants are called Chez something or other, and thus the food blog was born. I believe learning recipes is great but learning technique is grand. ChezWhat? is a virtual bistro with an ever-changing menu based on the freshest most unique ingredients of the season that I present in an artful way showcasing their natural beauty typically with out a recipe.

Fast forward and here we are now. So what makes me the number one food blogger, I will tell you what - I am prolific, I maintain my focus before and long after the job is done, I am a lover who never tires, I blog because it means I can do it over and over again, I am a champ who never quits and its hard to keep me down, I only see opportunities and challenges make me happy. I have drive. I have been passionate about cooking since I was a kid I would jump off the school bus and race inside to catch the last 15 minutes of Julia Child. I have been passionate about keeping a diary for just as long - blogging affords me the opportunity to do both and to reach a much larger audience than simply carrying around my notebooks and by some oft chance letting someone have a look. I completely enjoy what I do and I get even greater enjoyment from sharing it with others, and the beauty of it all is I am still learning.

I am from New Mexico, my family has lived there for hundreds of years and many things have been passed down from generation to generation, I grew up on a small farm with milk goats and cows, chickens, pigs and sheep. I moved to New York City after college and this giant melting pot has taught me to experiment with flavors, colors, textures, methods and I top it all off with a flower. I believe everything benefits from a cherry on top.

This is a poached egg on an english muffin with sauteed wild oyster mushrooms and hollandaise surrounded by glazed baby carrots with marigold honey a baby cucumber and wild flowers sprinkled with New Mexico red chile powder. Simple things simply made beautifully arranged. Simplicity at its finest, cooking with colors.