We all have defining moments in life.

Just like Chris Gardner had different defining periods of life in “The Pursuit of Happyness”, our lives are pieces of moments categorized by the activities we dedicate our time to.

The past year of my life in 2012 can be effectively called “cooking”.

I might have spent more than half of my time this year either cooking, reading about cooking, writing about cooking, and even simply just dreaming of doing so.

Life amazes me – with its surprises and different tricks up its sleeve.

It seems that in a huge conspiracy to make me more domesticated, life bestowed me with the opportunity to take up cooking classes, during which I discovered a huge desire to cook, something I had never before imagined in all my wildest dreams.

And who would have believed that I would be the author of a FOOD BLOG?

(A food blog?? Who would have believed that I would be remotely interested in cooking, let alone write about it, post about it tirelessly and be so madly in love with the kitchen?)

But this is what has happened, and I’m mighty pleased about it.

From posting a mere, randomly-shot photo just to prove that I had cooked something, to writing about the senses that are aroused when cooking in the kitchen – food blogging has made me better – both inside the kitchen and out.

Cooking also helps me travel all over the world…

It has made me re-live my days in Italy, whenever I make pasta, ohhh, glorious pasta..

I’ve learnt about the origins of Brazil’s Feijão Tropeiro, which has its history in the Minas Gerais state.

And I’ve stepped foot into Middle Eastern cuisine by learning how to prepare the Arab-Levantine Tabbouleh Salad.

I’ve been forced to practice writing, not just narratives, but also descriptives and have pushed myself to stretch my range of vocabularies. I’ve picked up tips from Dianne Jacob’s book “Will Write for Food” and swear by her advice of “show, not tell” – how to lead your readers into the scene where you’re eating or cooking, and letting them participate together with you, instead of just giving them a one-sided monologue about your experience.

I’ve gotten over my kitchen fears – from never ever using the oven to being an avid fan of baking, and from being frightened of recipes at first glance to daring to break them down, step by step. What a huge accomplishment it has been in the kitchen for me! I remember the times when looking at different types of vegetables bored me because I couldn’t for the life of me differentiate them, and now I can name most vegetables (in English and Spanish, raw or cooked).

I’ve also experienced the joy of making staple foods from scratch, such as jams and breads..

I’ve even compiled an entire list of kitchen tips to make cooking easier!

Most of all, cooking has made me grow as a person, and has made me think and reflect very much on life.

I learnt that cooking’s like love..

That sharing food is companionship..

I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who have been reading my blog this year, for being amazingly supportive in your comments and emails. Thank you for making food blogging such a deliciously enjoyable journey, and I’d definitely keep right on cooking for you and me!

Here’s wishing all of us a beautiful new year 2013, filled with plenty of love, laughter, pleasant surprises, and copious amounts of great food!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!