They say it’s your birthday…

30 wishes — Blowing out my candles.

They say 30 is the new 20. If that’s true, then last Monday was my second twentieth birthday. Fortunately, it was much better than the first one — the wine was much better (and I could drink it legally this time) and the angst of being on the cusp of everything was gone. My twenties were vague and poetic, full of adventure and discovery, bizarre jobs, cross-country moves, slowly learning how to convert life’s sugar and spice into prose. My thirties are poised to whip my becoming into being.

SpicySaltySweet reflects those life changes. It’s been in development for a while now, slowly rising like a loaf of bread. With the help of my fabulous boyfriend, Neal, who did all of the programming, and the excellent design work of Cicilia Sutjiono, who managed to capture my personality (and kitchen) with the perfect shade of orange, it’s finally become a reality.

If you’ve been reading Brix, this blog’s predecessor, over the past six months you’ve probably noticed a few new ingredients on the menu. If you’re new to the site, welcome! SpicySaltySweet is designed to be a fun, easy-to-read conversation about food, with the goal of providing great recipes and real stories about the trials and tribulations of cooking and creating new dishes. The table is set and I’ve got a slew of new cookbooks for inspiration. I hope you’re hungry.

Cin Cin!