Project Food Blog Challenge #1: Ready, Set, Blog!

Just as I posted shamelessly requested your votes the other day, this post marks my foray into Project Food Blog, Foodbuzz's ten week challenge to choose the "next food blog star" (can anyone tell me whom was the first?). The first challenge asks all contestants what defines you as a food blogger and why should you be the next food blog star? 

As I was considering how to answer that question this weekend, I began to think about why I started Culinary Studio in the first place two years ago.  I don't recall the moment I decided to become a food blogger, but I imagine that it was after a long day spent in the office and probably after at least two glasses of wine.  Fed up with the monotony that my days had become-- go to work, go to the gym, come home, cook dinner, read, go to sleep--, I decided that my life needed some sort of creative outlet.  I loved cooking and enjoyed writing, so the food blog idea seemed like a good idea at the time.  It would at least keep me occupied for the next 6 months until I set my sights on a new project. 

So two years later, Culinary Studio is still around and going strong. While this blog began simply as a creative outlet for me, it has evolved into something much more meaningful, into something I love doing.  It's given me the opportunity to challenge myself as a cook working in a small kitchen; being able to share my successes and failures with my readers has encouraged me to keep challenging myself to learn new techniques in the kitchen.  There's little more satisfying than cooking a delicious meal and then posting about it on this blog...other than eating that meal, of course.  

And why should I be the next food blog star?

First, have you seen my kitchen? It's not as tiny as they can get in NYC (which isn't saying much), but let's face it: it's not that easy being able to cook photo-worthy meals in a kitchen like this.  Especially when you consider some of the projects I have taken on, notably gnocchi, ravioli, and pheasant, as much as a disaster as that last one was.

Second, this blog, as well as myself as both a cook and a writer, have and will continue to evolve.  Looking back at my old posts, I definitely had a good number of clunkers in there with some pretty shoddy writing and even shoddier photography.

Check out a photo of scallops I took very early on in my blogging days:

Now check out a more recent photo I took of scallops:

This blog has certainly come a long way. 

Third, my blog audience has continued to grow over the last two years by being an active participant in the blogging community.  While I am unable to participate in the blog community as much as I would like to, it is gratifying how close-knit the community is, and I love being a part of it. 

Fourth, I have an adventurous spirit when it comes to cooking and I'm not afraid to try anything out. In the past two years, I have attempted aforementioned pastas, stinging nettle soup (and managed not to get stung), Indian curry, larb, coq au vin, squid ink risotto, and fried chicken, just to name a few.  Some may call it unfocused, but I call it fun, and I love sharing my adventures in the kitchen with my readers. 

Finally, um...have you seen my kitchen?!

And now for the uncomfortable part of this post.  Please, vote for me!  Voting is only open to those registered at Foodbuzz, so please sign up and get out the vote!  Don't worry, it's a good site and I have not had any issues with spam.  To vote, just click on my picture in my Project Food Blog profile widget on the top left column of this blog (click on the photo, not the bar that says Voter for Me) and follow the directions from there.  Voting is open from now until 9PM EST on Septement 23.  Thanks in advance for your help!