Reflections on the past year and looking ahead to 2016
Happy new year, everyone!As we say goodbye to 2015, I’d like to take some time to reflect and thank all of you for following me on my journey since MasterChef, and beyond. Having readers and fans makes life that much more fun and dynamic. As crazy as my life may get, I still like to stay in touch with my followers through social media; I still read 95% of the comments on my blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. I may not get a chance to respond to everyone, but I do my best. (We’re a very small operation here, you know.)In 2015, I went to Vietnam three times: first to curate a menu for a gala, then to film MasterChef/Vua Dau Bep Vietnam, and lastly to promote UncleJax American gourmet popcorn. Hopefully, Vietnam, you’ll continue to see more of me in 2016.I also filmed the third season of my cooking show in Canada, Four Senses, which will premiere later this month. I did a guest appearance on MasterChef U.S. Season 6 and will be part of the two-hour MasterChef celebrity showdown for charity airing on Monday, January 18, at 8 PM EST/PST on FOX.In other non-television news, I was delighted to be invited to do two TEDx talks, one at University of California, San Diego, and the other in Taipei, Taiwan. I’ll share those talks as soon as they’re available online.I also spoke and/or lead cooking workshops at various universities and schools for the blind across North America. Of all the people with whom I visit, I find students most refreshing for their optimism and raw curiosity. It’s rewarding to be able to inspire the youth.Perhaps the most exciting venture to happen to me in 2015 was the publication of my cookbook, Recipes from My Home Kitchen, in Vietnamese: Nau An Bang Ca Trai Tim, which translates to “Cook with all of the heart”—apparently, this sounds better than if we would’ve translated “Recipes from My Home Kitchen” directly into Vietnamese. The cookbook is available in most major bookstores in Vietnam in both hard and soft covers.That’s my 2015 in a nutshell. Now, what’s new for 2016?I’ve been trying to take my blog in a [slightly] new direction. It recently got a visual makeover—hope you like the new aesthetics—but I’d also like a clearer direction for my posts.A short history of my blogging life: back in 2008, I was beginning my graduate program at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, and I wanted a space where I could just write uncensored and unapologetically—being in grad school for creative writing means we’re often poring over every single word and sentence and concerning ourselves with structure, and I just wanted a safe place for me to write whatever the hell I wanted to write. I started writing about different places at which I’d eaten, movies I’d watched, and books I’d read. My first blog was just all over the place. The then-boyfriend-later-turned-hubs eventually said, “C, you still need an overall theme to your blog.” So I asked myself, What are things that affect me on a daily basis? Which aspects of my life really stick out? I decided because I really loved to eat and cook, and also because my vision impairment obviously affects my daily life, I’d start a blog about food and blindness and how the two are dynamic. The hubs bought the domain name, theblindcook.com, taught me how to use Wordpress, and then this blog was born.It hasn’t been easy keeping up with the blog over the last few years, as I am still the only one writing and publishing, but I’d like to return to its roots while considering content that would be more interesting to you.My idea—and I’d like your input on this—is to continue sharing my travel experiences via my YouTube vlogs, review places at which I’d eaten, and then follow up each travel mini-series with a recipe inspired by the trip, which I’ll cook in my own home kitchen. Travel has always been one of my favorite pastimes and recently has become a large part of my life, and after every trip, I naturally think about the food I’d eaten and what could I learn from the cuisine/ingredients/methods of that region? I’d like to take you with me on my travel, gastronomical, and culinary adventures. What do you think?What other things would you like to see on theblindcook.com or my YouTube, for that matter? Your feedback is valuable. Thanks for taking the time, and this Blind Cook wishes you and your loved ones a joyous and palately pleasing new year! xoxo
