A Happy Bloggiversary!

I made it! One year ago, I dipped my toes into the world of blogging, and now am almost completely submerged. I still have some things to learn, but for my intentions, I've got the basics down and have enjoyed every minute. I started this blog for one main reason: to keep up my writing skills while in between jobs or working outside of my career path. I soon found it to be a great way to chronicle the good times in life, most of which revolve around food. I didn't care about readership. I still don't. I have to admit, it's fun when other people enjoy my posts, but I still mainly blog for my love of writing and food. What makes my blog unique? It has only seven, count, SEVEN official followers. And even with that, I don't even know who reads it regularly.

As luck may have it, today I had the opportunity to meet a former winner of The Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Father Leo Patalinghug. Try saying that five times fast. A Catholic priest, foodie, and culinary whiz, this guy's perspective on life couldn't be more perfect. He's truly the Philipino-male-priest version of me when it comes to passion for food.


I ventured to McPherson square with my brother James (aka Jamie, Jimbo, Jim, Jimmy, BB Bumpkin, mini-punk, and little &#$*@! (the last three of which were coined by our loving father, Big Bad Bob)) to a small gathering at the Catholic Information Center. Winning the Throwdown for his steak fajitas launched Fr. Leo onto a new platform for sharing the good Word and palatable wisdom about bringing families closer with regular meals. He recently published the third edition of his book "Grace Before Meals," has a website that contains cooking webcasts, a blog of recipes, a weekly newsletter, and countless appearances on TV, speaking engagements, and radio shows.

What excited me most initially was the promise of eating whatever Fr. Leo planned to prepare. What inspires me most about him, besides his culinary talents and dynamic personality, are his sage wisdom, strong convictions, and ability to use his gifts to do good in this world. The energy he brought to his cooking table was also quite contagious. He told stories of how all of this began and how the simple concept of satisfying hunger is at the root of all love and good things in this world.

He threw in some Biblical references during his presentation where he prepared a tasty, yet spicy penne a la vodka for us, and expressed how important food was to nourishing the body and soul. His sense of humor was also entertaining. Before the camera's started rolling, Fr. Leo took the bottle of vodka he planned to use in his dish and pretended to open it and shake it at us like the priests do when blessing the congregation with holy water in church during major holidays. He later referred to it as Russian holy water. My man.

My short narrative about my adventure doesn't do Fr. Leo justice. He had several nuggets of wisdom in there--the main of which was the importance of family meals (or gatherings of friends and families for meals). Strong families are the difference-maker in society. Food brings us all together. It encourages conversation.

After enjoying the pasta dish that Fr. Leo prepared, Jimbo and I got our books signed and headed straight to the grocery store to replicate that simple goodness.


Here's me talking to Fr. Leo while he signs my book. Note (or please refrain from noting) the disaster that is the nest on the back of my hair. I think I might have found where Fievel is hiding out.

I guess all those squats finally paid off as I was able to mug for the camera, crouch down, and hold the pose with Fr. Leo for several consecutive seconds.

And here is the divine concoction. Creamy, spicy, aromatic and layered with flavor, my replication of Fr. Leo's Penne A La Vodka.

As this bloggiversary winds down, I want to thank all of those blogger friends out there and non-blogger loyalists (all three of you) who read mine. I have found many an inspiration from reading my friends' posts and have also discovered many entertaining blogs from seeing who follows what. It's been real tasty.