In good company

To you, the readers, thank you.

I open with that because I'm sometimes surprised to learn about who reads my blog. I just recently found out that this humble forum is nominated for a Foodie Star award over at My Table Houston. It stands with some illustrious company:

29.95 (Houston Chronicle)
Delicious Mischief (John DeMers)
Eating Our Words (Houston Press)
Guns & Tacos (Jay Rascoe)
Houston Foodie (J.C. Reid)
Texas Eats (Robb Walsh)

Personally, I think that Nishta Mehra's heartfelt Blue Jean Gourmet blog, a recent awardee at the Houston Web Awards, should have been a member of this group. The final winner is determined in part by popular vote - voting opens August 1 at houstonculinaryawards.com.

To be honest, I don't expect to win, so I am already pleased with the nomination. The blog is up against some powerful competition: Two of them are professional, ad driven blogs with staffs of bloggers. The others have a strong focus on dining out and travel - which is in line with the main theme of My Table as a magazine.

Part of the reason why I started this blog is that all too often, when someone says "food blog", the focus in particular is in dining out. While I do recount experiences of dining out in different restaurants, I firmly believe that the subject of food encompasses so much more, that there's a lot to learn about the art, science, and practice of food. As a cultural experience, as a scientific endeavor, as a learning experience, and as fundamental diplomacy.

I applaud the other nominees. They are all works of great talent and enthusiasm, and encourage you to read them, to learn the pulse of food in Houston. Thank you again for visiting, and I'll just keep writing.