Are You Cheeky Enough to Chow?

Champagne tasting in Epernay, France

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself that seem to good to be true. It seems made for you (OK, specially  made for me, this is my food blog after all right?) It's exciting, your heart skips a beat and you pray silently "pick me". Well, there is a competition that was created by two Chicago entities (Mike and Chao and Cheeky Chicago) to select a guest food writer to travel to San Francisco (shockingly I have not been) and write a guest column to appear on their newly launching Cheeky for San Fran. Jeez I just submitted the application and you'd think I'd won something right? Nothing yet, but it's the prospect that is so enticing...

I had to write a 200 word essay on a food adventure I've had. If you've been reading my little blog here you know I've had many. I haven't much detailed my past work though at The International Kitchen and thought that would be a good foray into my food psyche for such a short blurb. Below is what I sent out...fingers crossed!

I used to have one of those amazing jobs one when you tell people about it upon meeting them they are floored. Sometimes I can't even believe it. I worked for The International Kitchen, a company specializing in culinary travel specifically with trips to Italy and France. It was indeed amazing and I had the opportunity to visit many cities and have experiences I probably never would have sought out on my own. We as Americans have all sorts of notions and apprehensions about food, especially with fare we don't deem edible here in the US.  Always an adventurous eater, I stuck with this idea and ran with it when I traveled, eating anything and everything that was put in front of me. Sure I had my apprehensions, but I figured if locals were eating it and enjoying it I probably would too. It was with fond memories I found myself sitting in a Paris café just hours after my overseas flight. My stomach craved carbs, perhaps some warm French bread, yet I found myself face to er, head with a plate of tete de veau. The calf’s head was delicious and the best gastronomic introduction I can remember.