Travels

“Great Start, Ramya”, ran through my head, “you cant even find where the conference room is!” I meandered, hurriedly through the Sacramento Convention Center, searching around each corner of the cavernous hallways, with a backpack, walk-running on really kick-ass heels (I needed them!), trying to find where the International Food Bloggers Conference 2017 (IFBC2017) was being held. I, as usual, did not check my email before I left my hotel room where there were clear instructions on where the entrance was.

I finally found the hall and clattered up the steps to the registration desk. There were a lot people, talking in groups, as if they had known each other for ages. I stopped, thoughts racing through my head. “Just because I wrote a few blog posts, I can call myself a blogger? Do I really belong here?”.

I took a deep breadth and told myself, “You can do this.” Let me give you some context here. You see, I am stepping out of comfort zone after a four year career break. Speaking to a room full of people, none of whom you know is extremely hard. And, I used to be in sales operations where my job was to collaborate with strangers, day in and day out. So, to say, that conflicting emotions were running through my head would barely scratch the surface. 

I mustered up the courage, and searched for my name among the numerous ID cards attached to lanyards with names, blog names and twitter handles on them. I did not find mine. I panicked! I quickly pulled out my phone where I saw the email on where to find the entrance and searched for my conference registration confirmation.

“Can I help you?” I looked up to see the woman behind the registration desk, looking at me inquiringly with a smile on her face. “I am trying to find my name tag”, I told her. She asked for my name and said “Oh, it’s right here!”. I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked her, Kristy, who had been sending all the information about the conference.

I turned around and wondered what I should do. Should I gate crash one of the groups? Instead, I headed towards the corner where coffee was being served by the San Francisco Bay, a gourmet coffee company, a sponsor to the conference. I stood in line, listening to the chatter, the gentle drip of the coffee machine and bustling crowd surrounding me. I quickly picked a cup and poured coffee into it. Why this is significant? I don’t drink coffee!

I took a sip trying to calm my nerves. I know what you are thinking. “You drank coffee to calm your nerves??!!!” That’s an oxymoron if I have heard one. However, I felt like I needed to blend in and hold something in my hand. Plus, the coffee warmed my insides and was not half bad.

The two women in front of me were trying to get a good shot of the coffee to upload it on Instagram. “Try using the “chrome” setting. I think it will come out better”, I blurted out, my little knowledge of using the iPhone Camera. And, they did. And liked it. “Thank you!”, they said.

“What blog do you write?”, they asked. “I am a newbie”, I said. And I walked into conference talking to them.

Thus began my two days of endless fun of meeting  and connecting with total strangers who shared a common love for food and writing, learning the techniques in blogging like Instagram Growth, Creating videos for under $100, How to make money from your blog, including the technical side like SEO and Google Analytics along with “How to write a scroll worthy blog”. 

The International Food Blogger Conference 2017 was held in the “Farm to Fork” Capital of Sacramento, on September 29/30, 2017, generously sponsored by the city itself. The keynote speech was about how to tackle various challenges like food waste and the struggles of farmers by  Nick “Nicky Bobby” Papadopoulos of CropMobster. It was informative and a great start. 

There were numerous vendors, from the Original Balsamic Vinegar of Italy, who actually travelled all the way from Italy for this event, Avocados from Chile, Legendre Wine from the Amador Wine Region, Lindsay olives to name but a few. For a complete list, check out the sponsors page. We ate scrumptious samples and loaded our goodie bags.

Writing well is difficult and food writing even more so. I have written for advertisements and media kits, even white papers but writing about something that people all over the world do everyday and make it fresh and interesting every time is hard.

And, it’s not only about the writing or taking appealing pictures or the sheer amount of time spent in writing each blog page. Its also about being a digital marketer  (SEO, web analytics, HTML, XML and Schema), social media planning guru (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and all the other new ones cropping up everyday), content manager, financial accountant, copywriter, work scheduler, and much, much more! These people at rockstars!

 I went in nervous and unsure of what a blogger conference is and if want to be here. I left with the promise of becoming organized, write and experiment more, explore the overwhelming information that I now have access to, keep in touch with the new friends that I have made and see them all at the next IFBC  2018 conference in New Orleans. Plus a reminder to print business cards for the next conference (I was the only one without any among the people I met).

Don’t forget to “Like”, “Follow” and leave your comments. 

List of awesome bloggers who I had an in-depth conversation with. Be sure to check them out. 

1. Anna and Kyle – www.great8friends.com (The first two people who I met at the conference)
2. Anushree  – http://simmertoslimmer.com/ (My dinner buddy.)
3. Sri – http://www.vidhyashomecooking.com/ (My hometown girl)
4. Jerald Herron – http://bowl-me-over.com/ (Thank you for telling me the tricks of the trade)
5. Pat and Dahn – https://savorthebest.com/ (For reminding me that age is not a factor in success)
6. Sharon Wong, M.Ed – http://www.nutfreewok.com/ (So friendly and helpful)
7. Jennifer Bourn – https://inspiredimperfection.com/ (Jennifer’s workshop on “Why Bloggers should know SEO”).
8. Chris and Jerald – http://www.foodiemadesimple.com/ (Thank you for your insights).
9. Lennis Perez – https://cookdancelovelive.com/ (Thank you for asking relevant questions).
10. Janice – http://gastronomama.com/ (Lovely talking to you and listening to your experiences)
11. Chelsea Cole – http://www.aducksoven.com/ (A lovely conversation over a short walk through downtown Sacramento)

Its been 10 years since I have lived in India, a country whose vibrant colors are synonymous with its spectacular food. I hail from Tamil Nadu in South of India, whose culture and food is so very different from the rest of the country. Visiting home this time felt bittersweet. I felt like a visitor in so many ways to the land that I was born in and spent the first 25 years of my life. I felt like an outsider struggling to navigate its streets and communicate my ignorance. On the other hand, I was able to appreciate it’s beauty as only a visitor can. 

Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India is a temple city, home of the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple and known for its Madurai Malli (Jasmine) which is used in the J’adore perfume by Dior and it’s rich and varied cuisine.

I always visit Madurai (Tamil Nadu) when I am in India, my husband’s home. Usually, my time is spent at home with relatives and friends, eating delicious home cooked meals and of course paying homage to Meenakshi Amman. This time however, my husband and I decided to explore and re-discover the city, especially its rich cuisine.

We stumbled upon this street food tour company called Foodies Day Out, formed by a group of millennials who love exploring local cuisine. Foodies Day Out is as their tag line says “tour by the foodies for the foodies!”. We decided to give the tour a shot.

Warning! This tour is not for the squeamish! The tour guide, Pandian, picked us up at a designated meeting place in a very comfortable car. And off we went on this adventure with another couple from America. It was surprisingly informative and extremely enjoyable. The cost is about Rs.2500 per person but the tour took almost 5 hours and if we were ardent meat lovers would have taken even more. That speaks to the passion of the tour guide who will take you to every nook and corner of Madurai till you say STOP!

I expected Sambar, Idlis, and Dosas for sure on the tour and it did not disappoint. Our tour guide took us to various street stalls and our bellies cried out in gastronomic delight. But for me, certain items made an impression. I call them my Tour Treasures!

Like, Paruthi Pal, a delicious concoction made with crushed and filtered cottonseed, milk, coconut and jaggery, from a roadside vendor. This drink is one of the specialities of Madurai, found in few other places in the state of Tamil Nadu. And my tour treasure number one.

My tour treasure number two – Aama Vadai (fried lentils like falafels, tastes different though), is next. While I have had this vadai numerous times and make it at home as well, it is one of those simple appetizers that has to be made exceedingly well and one that 90% of the time people make just adequately palatable. This street vendor who had a small mobile cart, made these bite sized vadais that exploded with flavor in your mouth – crisp on the outside, soft within, perfectly seasoned with salt, green chilies and herbs. 

The same vendor also sold these Green Puris (fried puffed up dough). The green color of the puris come from steamed and mashed Murungai Keerai (Drumstick leaves) and Toothuvalai (Solanum trilobatum) leaves. Drumstick leaves were familiar to me as a culinary use, but, Thoothuvalai is usually used as medicinal herb, for treating cough, cold and other respiratory problems like asthma. I was astounded by the flavor of the puris. They were something new that I had not tasted before. The vendor serves it with a special house-made spice powder on top, which just enhanced the taste of the puris. This is my tour treasure number three.

Have you ever tasted the inside of the bark of a coconut tree? I did not either till that day. I did not even know that the inside of the bark of the coconut tree was edible (which a lot of people know apparently). Its called Thennakuruthu (Heart of the Palm) and is rich in fibers, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, vitamins B2, B6, and C. The English use it in a salad called Millionaire’s Salad. While it is an exotic delicacy in other parts of the world, it is sold on the streets of Madurai extremely cheap. It tastes like Jicama, crunchy, a little sweet, something you can munch as a snack. And thats my tour treasure number four.

I have three more outstanding culinary delights that stood out for me that day. Coconut Poli, again, like the Aama Vadai, something that I have grown up eating but this poli was just outstanding. It was dripping in ghee (as good poli’s should be) and made with a heavenly mix of coconut and jaggery filling wrapped in an almost invisible rice flour wrapper. We did not wait to take a photograph, just gobbled it up. I did manage to snap a shot of the shop though. My tour treasure number five.

My tour treasure six is Idiyappam (steamed rice flour noodles). The guide took us to this small Idiyappam place that churns out 5000 Idiyappams per day and has been in business for over 50 years. We met the owner/chef, a lovely lady who promised to teach me how to make them for a million dollars! The store is opposite a hospital and everyone – patients or people who work there, eat at the least one meal at her shop. There is no seating, so you have to stand and eat. Idiyappams are healthy because they are steamed and are served with various mixtures – coconut milk, coconut and sugar, tomato gravy and kadala curry (black chick peas curry). She also makes Ragi (finger millet) Idiyappam. The Idiyappams were fluffy, lip-smacking, deliciousness. 

My final tour treasure number seven is the famous Madurai Bun Parotta, a multi-layered bread made with all purpose flour, eggs, milk and sugar.  The dough is allowed to rest for 4 to 6 hours.Then they are shaped into round balls like shaping  pizza dough and then it stretched thin, with a skill and speed, that only comes with practice. It is then folded again into a circular shape and almost deep fried. The result is this, crunchy, flaky and soft all at once awesomeness! The chefs were kind enough to let me try my hand at it. I failed miserably, of course! It is served with vegetable korma or lamb korma. They also make Kuthu Porotta – made with shredded bun parotta, lamb gravy, eggs, onions and a host of other things. The shop has been in existence for over 50 years and even at 10.00PM at night was hopping with customers.

We tasted many more delights like the Famous Jigarthanda which failed to make an impression with me, maybe because, they dont make it with seaweed anymore. The tour started at 6.00PM and ended at 11.00PM and was full of discoveries and memories, shared with strangers and a knowledgeable street food guide. My husband and I give it two thumbs up! So my recommendation is, go on the tour, whether you are a tourist brave enough try at authentic Madurai street fare, or you are, like me rediscovering your heritage. It’s worth it!

Foodies Day Out – http://foodiesdayout.com/

 

Do you remember those towns, those idyllic towns as described by fiction books? Where time stands still? A town that’s heaven on earth, away from the concrete jungles with beautiful beaches clinging with sea life, wooden sidewalks beneath which the squirrels make their home, where you can actually watch the sunset?

My family and I have been there twice. And we will go there again and again and again.  It’s called Cambria, a  seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California State Route 1 (Highway 1).

This year we went there for the July 4th (2016) weekend. Wait! Did you say July 4th weekend? It must have been crowded! It wasn’t. This is one of the hidden jewels of California. One of the uncrowded beaches. Where you can take a deep breath and want to do it all over again

The Drive

We started our journey from Fremont CA on a hot and sweaty Saturday afternoon. It’s a 3.5-hour drive to Cambria, CA and we made it without stopping once with two kids aged 6 and 3 in the back seat. People who have kids know that’s unusual, to put it mildly. We arrived just in time for dinner around 6.30. And decided to head right into Main Street to grab a bite before checking in to the hotel. But let me get to the restaurants and the town itself later.

The Silence

After dinner, we started at the hotel at around 8.00PM and finally turned to the Moonstone Beach Drive…. The chatter in the car turned to silence and then erupted once more as my son shouted, “Look! The Ocean!. I want to stop! Can we stop? Pleassseee?!!!” Well, he did not really have to do that as we were already pulling into a parking spot. We were just in time for one of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see.

The water sparkled like diamonds where the setting sun shone on them, with darkness creeping over from the east, shrouding the churning grey waters

in mystery. And there in the corner was the sun. Oh my God! The Sun! In its fiery gold glory, a blaze of color — oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples… A calm washes over you. You forget everything. Your responsibilities, your troubles, even your children till you look down and see the awe on your three-year old’s face. Can there be a better start for a holiday?

The Stay

We stayed at the Fireside Inn, a quaint little beachside hotel that has all the amenities, complimentary hot continental breakfast, excellent service, and most importantly it faces the beach and you have to just cross the road to reach it. The next three days, we spent at the beach, broken by the time we needed to fuel ourselves with food and recharge with a little afternoon siesta.

Sea Life

The sand, the moonstones, the rocks, the kelp….We saw glorious birds gliding on the water, mussels clinging to the rocks, hermit crabs scurrying into little holes, colorful sea anemones in tiny tide pools, sea sunbathing on rocks, sea lions being lazy…… and the water! The glorious, sometimes ferocious, clean and cool waves that lap at your ankles and drag you towards its heart. Troubles do melt like lemon drops here. The vastness of the ocean has always made me feel little and insignificant but whole at the same time. I feel the power of Mother Nature here more than any other place.

Cambria Village

The village of Cambria with a population of 6000 plus people is as wonderful as its natural surroundings. Chef owned restaurants that churn out delicious food made from fresh and locally sourced ingredients. I recommend that you try Robins Cafe, Cambria Cafe, Lilys Coffee House, Linn’s Easy as Pie Cafe and Mojo’s Village Bean for ice-cream.

There are a plethora of Artists galleries in Cambria where you can spend many afternoons, just gazing at the handmade, beautiful and diverse collection of pottery and paintings, exotic silver and gold jewelry, and even exciting modern art made from junk! Some of the famous artists whose work you can see there are Tim Cotterill, Loet Vanderveen, Michael Godard, Eprahim (pottery) and many, many, more.

Other Attractions

And then there are the surrounding Vineyards at Paso Robles that offers numerous tastings of their delectable wines and tours. Some have restaurants attached too. The Hearst Castle, a National and California Historic Landmark,  is a delight for history and architecture buffs. It is said that architect Julia Morgan went to great lengths to bring back the best of European architecture for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

         

Why should you go here??!!!

Beautiful beaches that sing a sirens song with their thriving sea-life, excellent, fresh and local food and wine that remind you of your roots, art that satisfies the soul, history that fascinates the mystery of the past and amazing welcoming people who treat you like their own – could there be a more perfect place? What more do you need for an idyllic vacation?…