Epic dreaming, like narcolepsy, can happen at the most inopportune momentsSo What? Who Cares? Why me?
I am a dreamer. I have epic dreams. Fluffy, creme fraiche cloud, eat your way across Tuscany, Campania, and now, the Napa Valley, dreams.
This obsessive hunger for adventure, travel and - obviously - food and the corresponding thirst for gorgeous wines and gorgeous living explain why I left a wonderful job as an editor for a lifestyle magazine, my beautiful big family and a storage shed full of new furniture back in Arkansas and moved to the Napa Valley.
My biggest hankering is for stories. Stories about people pursuing, struggling with and achieving their dreams. I do have official business here on the valley floor (I'm in the process of writing a book), but the truth is, I came to northern California because I was hopelessly smitten by this community of star-gazers. And I'm not just talking about the guys fawning over three Michelins.
For me, the Napa Valley is the magnum opus of storied lives. They serve magnums of Opus here, along with wines intended to take you past the point of no return (Rubicon), that attempt to bottle perfection (Paradigm), that seduce with passion and ambition (Paramour), that promise the good life (Boheme).
What could be more satiating for a greedy, life-gulping romantic than a thirty mile stretch of land where castles aren't just reserved for the clouds of dreams but are, in fact, an actuality? Sure, there are the wineries (and winemakers and chefs) that work hard to be obnoxious and ostentatious, but I'll try to avoid them in this blog.
What's another girl doing writing yet another food blog? I suppose I started this site because I believe there's no such thing as too many food blogs. Because writing about the world's greatest culinary minds is the best way I can show gratitude for their existence. Because the weight gain between November and January proves the theory that unrestrained eating increases the appetite; I believe the same can be said for uninhibited reading. Because luxuriating in the the flavors, smells, textures, preparations and presentations, and the sighs and sizzles that food brings to the table is one of the most beautiful ways to put the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and hands God gave us to good use. More satisfying than a bubble bath in my book...unless a split of nonvintage Billecart-Salmon and a side order of Bouchon frites come gratis with that bath.
And, because I'm here. I don't say that lightly. I left a job, a family and a handful of incredible friends in Arkansas, drove 1,800 miles cross country and put myself in the middle of the Napa Valley. Where I would have first-hand access to and a first-hand education from the experts, both in the vineyard and in the classroom.
The purpose of this blog is to celebrate the visionaries - the chefs, winemakers, restaurateurs, farmers, winery owners, sommeliers, bartenders, educators, waiters, cellar workers, vineyard workers - of the Napa Valley. And their food and wine. And what makes everything they do here so damn good. Because I'm not one to sit still in one place for an extended period, we'll also be raising our glasses to several Sonoma County gems, feasting and making merry in San Francisco and indulging in the bounties of the Bay Area.
AficioNada is an homage to some of the world's most celebrated food and wine creators. From someone who still has trouble determining when her noodles are done.