3.14.14 – from the field

I’m writing this from the Whole Foods Market in Birmingham, Alabama, while Tim’s getting in a little more work and we’re both eating blueberry kefir mixed with maple buckwheat flakes and fresh fruit. Already this morning we’ve been the hotel guests who don’t want anything from the free breakfast buffet besides an orange. We’ve been the out-of-towners beelining for the local Target because one of us forgot her entire makeup bag. We’ve been that laughing couple in a sunny parking lot, me on the phone catching up with a dear friend, Tim on his phone catching up on emails. Today we’re heading to Pensacola, Florida for the weekend, but last night, we were driving straight to Highlands Bar and Grill here in Birmingham, all because we were sent a copy of this book recently and after I read about its chef, Frank Stitt, and about his passion for vegetables, love of culinary travel, and lifestyle of keeping his own family farm an hour away to source food for his restaurants, I wanted to go. When we got there last night, we learned I’d made reservations for the wrong night (!), but, thankfully, they still fit us in. We ate shredded Brussels sprouts and little gem lettuces and our first-ever Gulf Pompano, and Tim wore the suit jacket that doesn’t fit him quite right, because The Highlands is the kind of restaurant where gentlemen wear coats. Before we hit the road again, I wanted to jot down these memories here, partly for you and partly for my leaky brain, and, as long as I’m doing that, I may as well point you to some other things worth remembering, too:

Beautiful food-focused spaces like Dolly and Oatmeal, Farm on Plate, and The First Mess.

Instagrammers who add beauty to the middle of my day when I’m stuck in line at a store or in the passenger seat on a long trip, like @woodsermom, @crannyandme, @amandajanejones, @kathryndave,@jivandave, and @carissa_graham.

My friend Holly (you may remember her from here), who started a new food blog recently, Feast or Fallow, filled with thoughtful posts and seasonal recipes.

This book and the way it is killing me with what it means to love.

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