Whats the point of this blog?

So as people start trickling in to my blog I figured a lot of them might wonder why a 17 year old teenager was spending her free time writing a blog and interviewing chefs...shouldn't I be at the mall reading interviews about the hottest celeb?? I've always wanted to have a blog but I've always lacked a topic and the motivation...but coming to Avalon high school has provided me with both. At my high school all seniors are required to complete a 300 hour project before we graduate. This project can be about almost anything so                        

over the summer I spent a lot of my time trying to come up with a project that I would enjoy doing for three hundred hours. I sifted through ideas ranging from taking a trip to china, to studying something medical; yet with all the ideas I never got that spark of excitement. My aunt, sensing my frustration, told me to pick 5 things that I loved or enjoyed doing and from there I could form a project that would combine my interests. My response was along the lines of Facebook, cooking, reading, eating, and traveling. And thus my project was born.

                I chose this project for significant study for a variety of reasons. The first reason was that I wanted a project that would keep me excited. I figure that if I have a project that will keep me interested I will be more eager to put more time into it, thus I’ll have a better product. The second reason I chose to do this project was so that I could express myself through writing. I have always enjoyed writing about my different experiences and I wanted a project that would help me prepare of college. I included two deliverables that have a good majority of writing so that my writing skills can improve. The last reason I chose to do this project was so that I could have an opportunity to expand my knowledge of the Twin Cities, and let me feel like I was travelling without the price tag.  

So what exactly are you going to be doing Erin?

In my project I intend to explore different countries and their cuisine, through exposure to foods and interviews with native people living here in Minnesota.  The first part of my project will be research on different countries. I plan on picking a variety of countries and studying their cuisine, from the spices they use, ingredients, cooking methods, and much more. The countries I choose to study will be based on my personal interest/curiosity and whether or not I can find an authentic restaurant here in the twin cities. Some of the countries I plan on studying are Greece, Turkey, Thailand, Cambodia, Russia, and possibly some Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Peru).

The second part of my senior project will be visiting restaurants. I plan on going to smaller restaurants around the cities that model the original cuisine of that specific country. I want the restaurants to be ones people normally wouldn’t find in order to help the community, and get a more original cuisine instead of cuisine that has been Americanized.

Throughout my project I plan on having two deliverables, a book and a blog. My blog will be a way for people to follow me through my project process and allow them to comment on some of the restaurants I go to. I chose to do a blog because then it will allow me to gather feedback throughout my project process and will also allow me to post videos and post more pictures. My blog will also be a way for people who read my book to gather more information on particular restaurants that they may be interested in, for example I will have links to the restaurants web site (if they have one).

My book will be my final deliverable. For each country I choose I will have a page or pages dedicated to the history of their cuisine. My hope is that these pages will inform the reader and perhaps spike some interest in a countries food that they otherwise wouldn’t try. My book will also contain some pictures, interviews, and my overall rating of the experience.