It’s a tough decision, certainly. After posting my own Project Food Blog entry up, I’ve been reading up on some of my Project Food Blog competitors’ entries for the first challenge, and I got two reactions to them:

1) Holy shit. I’m never gonna make it to the next round.

2) Holy shit. I feel so freaking proud to be part of this food blogging community.

Christina nailed it on the head when she told me, “I’ve read maybe 20 entries…and pretty much every one has made me tear up or get goosebumps.”

Then Christina told me that she was going to do a post rounding up all her favorite Project Food Blog entries, and I felt a pang of shame that I selfishly never thought about doing something like that, too.

Because what is the essence of a food blog, after all? It’s about sharing. It’s about passion. It’s about enjoying the taste, community, and culture that food provides. This might be a contest, but in danger of sounding corny…I think everyone is already a winner.

And no matter how much I may want to win, I want the winner to be someone who truly deserves it from the way she or he truly embraces all the positive elements of food.

3) Salty Seattle: Another new find. Linda is a busy mother and wife who has found her spark in food blogging—and it ain’t just a hobby to pass time. She’s real serious about her food, and pounces on her project head-on, be it molecular gastronomy, or prancing around in a meat dress.
Intrigued? So am I.

4) Gingersnaps: Yeah yeah, whatever, I’m biased, but I still think Mimi is awesome. Scratch that—she is awesome.
I remember when I first met her. She could barely finish a sandwich without half freaking out. Now, this girl would eat anything I put in front of her—including Korean blood sausages (that’s another story). If I send a random text to her saying “Let’s go demolish some Chicken McNuggets”, she would immediately respond, “What time?”

Yes, Mimi has come far. And her blog is undergoing some critical transformations right now. It’s no longer just a diet food blog, which explains why she changed her blog name from Damn The Freshman 15 to Gingersnaps.

I would say that Mimi’s blog is like a timid teenager gaining self-discovery…and regaining confidence and enthusiasm for all the adventures that food has to offer. And I think her new discovery of courage alone deserves a star.

5) Dinner at Christina’s: Another favorite  blogger of mine, but my own personal feelings aside, I genuinely think that Christina is a beacon in the food blogosphere.
She is utterly, shockingly without a single dropping of bullshit. I think as humans, we all have a bit of crap in us, and I don’t mean the one you see in the toilet. But Christina…I have yet to catch her violating her beliefs and morals.

Sorry, I’m not quite done gushing yet. Let me just do a final blabbering about this amazing lunch I made with Mimi. As I mentioned, Mimi would eat anything I make, which is great since as you already know, most of the stuff I make just ain’t…normal.

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, chopped
• 1 cup-ish dried adzuki beans, soaked overnight
• big handful of dried figs
• small sliver ginger, minced
• chicken broth (or veggie broth)
• almond milk
• cinnamon
• salt and pepper

Green Tea “Crepe”:

• 3/4 cup egg whites (from carton)
• 1 tsp green tea powder
• salt
• drop of milk

Green Tea-Miso “Creme”:

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tsp green tea powder
• almond milk

Additional stuff:

• sliced nectarines or peaches

Directions:

Sautee garlic and onion in a large pan until soft and fragrant. Add in the sweet potato and adzuki beans. Stir to coat. Add the dried figs and ginger, and then stir in enough chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer.

Keep adding more chicken broth as the liquid boils down, alternating with the almond milk. Cook until the beans are cooked through and no longer crunchy. Season with cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Make the green tea-miso “creme” by blending all the ingredients together. Use enough almond milk to get as thick or runny consistency as you want.

Mix “crepe” ingredients together. Set a large frying pan on medium heat, spraying it well. Pour enough “batter” into the pan to make a thin layer. Gently cook on one side, then turn off heat.

Plop some adzuki filling into the middle of the “crepe”, then fold it up into a triangle. Gently slide onto a plate.

Top with fresh peach/nectarine slices and the green tea-miso “creme”.
Confession: I messed up the first batch, because instead of folding the “crepe” over the filling, I tried to roll it up like an omelete. And then Mimi had the brilliant idea of folding it into a triangle instead, and success!
This dish was a mix of hits and misses. The hit was that it tasted AMAZING. The filling was smoky, yet complexly sweet from the sweet potatoes and figs. And the adzuki beans were wonderful in here, because it’s got this great blend of savory and sweet undertones.
I loved the “creme” as well, for its intricate flavors. Cool, yet bold with the rich umami flavors from miso, and a freshness from the lemon juice (from my yard!). And of course, the green tea powder just adds that kick of intrigue.
The miss? Well, as you can see, it ain’t that pretty. I had envisioned this beautiful, stunning green crepe, but the green tea powder didn’t blend as smoothly as I wanted with the egg whites.
And I learned that egg whites just don’t cook into a purely white sheet…the edges always turn kind of brown. I might as well have just used whole eggs instead of making Mimi lug her carton of egg whites over.
But hey, that’s the fun of food blogs…most of us aren’t professionals, so we make blunders from time to time. And then we learn from our mistakes. And the best thing? We have an archive showcasing our progress from post to post—all in colorful pictures, too.

If you’ve read this post from top to bottom, thank you. I know my posts tend to be longer than the others. I really appreciate all your loyalty, friendship, and warm responses to what I have to share. Thank you, for making me feel like a champion each time I hit “publish”.

If you’ve got the time, do hop on over to Project Food Blog, check out all the wonderful contestants there, and vote wisely.

Question of the Day: There are 1,890 contestants. I only listed 5. Obviously, my list  is woefully lacking. I can already think of several more off the top of my head that I’ve missed out (Yes, each word has a different link…oh come on! You endured this long post, you can check them out individually…you won’t regret it!)
So please help me complete it, by listing YOUR favorite Project Food Blog entries! (And the links, if you’re not too lazy, hee hee)