At least five times a day I stop and pinch myself. How could I be so fortunate? I cook and eat for a living. I wake up dreaming about food and I go to sleep at night dreaming about the food I have tasted. My nightstand is loaded with cookbooks and food biographies, and often in the middle of the night I wake up in search of the next great meal. I turn the computers on each morning and jump on chef websites and search for food porn, those luscious photographs that scream, “This bowl of strawberries dripping with clotted cream seductively arranged next to a platter of sinfully baked cinnamon scones was made just for you.”

 

 My Food Muse buddies from Sarasota.

Needless to say, when a friend told me that the Key West literary seminar was aptly named Food Muse this year, I just knew the seven-hour drive would be well worth it. Ruth Reichl (famed former NY Times restaurant reviewer and former editor of Gourmet Magazine), Molly O’Neil (food critic and cookbook author), Frank Bruni (former NY Times restaurant critic and author of Born Round) and Judith Jones (editor for Julia Child’s cookbooks) all in one room—a dream come true!

 

One food muse in Key West was the cheesecake at Better Than Sex.

 Trying to grab a moment with Ruth Reichl, one of my favorite food writers.

There were many sessions, from food poetry to mastering the art of French cooking, but perhaps the most thought-provoking question of the entire weekend from the panel was a simple question: “WHAT IS YOUR FIRST FOOD MEMORY?” A simple yet complex question that cuts to the core of why so many of us love food. So I ask you, what is your first food memory? Please share on the comment button. 

 

Is the Key West Rooster anyone's food muse?