Friday Firsts

When I started this blog in September of 2008 I thought I was a pretty talented cook. I was able to follow a recipe pretty well and people seemed to like the things I put in front of them.

After reading other blogs, seeing beautiful food photographs, watching trends come and go, and being introduced to many people across the planet I started to become a lot more adventurous in the kitchen.

Instead of making really good spaghetti and meatballs, I was using the same flavor profiles to stuff spaghetti squash with! I had never cooked with yeast before and was scared of it, but now I've gone through two jars and think nothing of it when a recipe calls for it!

My kitchen has since acquired an immersion blender, a microplaner, and a cast iron grill pan! These were things I never even knew I needed and now I can't live without!

I've tried new restaurants others have mentioned that I would never know to visit. Then I ordered things off the menu I would have overlooked before, instead choosing a more familar and safe option.

On an almost daily basis I see dishes and recipes I would love to try, and some that I have! Fellow bloggers share their old favorites, which then become my new favorite!

I've even tried new ingredients I must have walked past in the grocery store dozens of times before! Polenta, chorizo, and even a fresh, raw pear - all things I'd never had before.

I've also surprised myself in my abilities, making homemade pasta twice with the help of my mom, mastered the art of cleaning and cutting a whole chicken, and even made my own homemade vegetable stock from our scraps!

This enthusiasm and love for cooking within the food blog community started to have a common thread, I noticed. It is that adventurism and bond of sharing the new and the exciting! I'd love for Friday Firsts to be a communal place for everybody to come together and share their firsts from that week!

It could be the first time you've cooked a recipe, the first time you've used a new kitchen gadget, or the first time you've tried a new ingredient! The first time you've eaten at a restaurant, or the first time you've tried a technique. Anything that is new and exciting to you, that you're proud to have tried and would like to share that enthusiasm and adventure with fellow food bloggers, all are welcome!

To participate, just stop by Dinner at Christina's every Friday and add your "first" from that week to the provided Mister Linky. Stay to peruse around fellow Firsts and see what others are excited to be trying in their kitchens that week!

If you would like to display the Friday Firsts button as a badge on your sidebar or blog post, you can copy and paste the following code.

<a href="http://www.dinneratchristinas.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://glc.dinneratchristinas.com/i/fridayfirsts.png" alt="Friday Firsts / DinnerAtChristinas.com" style="width: 220px; height: 220px; border: none"/></a>