Hi all!
I am sure many of you read Molly Wizenberg's blog, Orangette. She also has a column in Bon Appetit Magazine, from which I've used a couple recipes (marshmallows, paté). Although she has been writing since 2004, I only just discovered the sunny, prose-filled pages of her blog a few months ago, after making the Bon Appetit connection. And now, she has just written and published her first book, A Homemade Life.
There are many reasons why I am an avid fan of Miss Wizenberg: her superb writing, homey and delicious recipes supported by personal experiences and her inspiring story of literary breakthrough. Through the success of her blog, she was able to leverage a job at my favorite food mag, as well as a husband (not something I am looking for on the interwebs, but a cool story nonetheless) and now, a book. It is something I clearly aspire to, despite my unedited, haphazard blog writing style. Perhaps my erratic grammar is endearing...I hope so, readers, I hope so.
Fortuitously, Miss W's brother-in-law is the proprieter of a very successful and trendy group of restaurants in DC, which prompted a stop on her tour and a book signing party. The event was at Ceiba, a trendy Latin Fusion type restaurant a block from the White House, complete with free hors d'ouevres, cash bar and books for purchase. I arrived right as Miss W. began her reading. A very nice man brought me a delicious, gingery Dark and Stormy. The crowd was as I expected: attractively bookish women and a sprinkling of well dressed men. Everyone was excited to be there, hear Miss Wizenberg's reading and have their chance to shake her hand and eat her cookies. OH, those cookies...some kind of shortbread with pink cream cheese icing. There were also many delicious Ceiba delicacies passed throughout the room such as empanadas, chicken flautas, ceviche and mini-crabcakes.
So after some swift feasting, I purchased a book and had it signed. As I waited in line, I wondered what I would say when I got to the front. How can I get her to read my blog?!!? How can I explain in one sentence or less that I find her story completely cool and inspiring?!?! ACK!
Meeting someone who has been blogging for so many years, who has allowed you so intimately into their lives, is a weird sensation. You automatically want to tell them YOUR story, too! I mean after all, you're confidants in some strange, far-off way. I wanted to tell her all about everything, how writing this blog has been so fun and making with connections with readers has been an unexpected delight. But, instead of telling her my life story I blurted out something about having a blog, making her paté and being excited she was here. She told me she liked my necklace, that the paté took a long time to perfect and how nice it was to be here in DC with friends and family. And I was happy.
Her inscription:
To Ellen,
Enjoy it all!
-Molly
Words to live by, my friends.
