I Got Shortlisted for The Saveur Blog Awards!!!

So… I got shortlisted for the Saveur Blog Awards!!! AHH!!!

With just a little more than a year of intentional blogging under my belt, I’m still trying to process how I ever got nominated for one of the biggest awards in the food blogging sphere. It’s craaazy! To those who nominated me, thank you thank you thank you for writing overly nice things about me in your nominations that I can only hope to live up to!

To be frank, I was going to be a whole lot more sentimental and drafted a rambling post about how grateful I am for the nomination, with cringy, over-quoted quotes like ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ and ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’. *major cringe* But luckily for you, I thought better of it and deleted it all. Just know that I am infinitely grateful for this nomination, though I don't know I'll ever be truly deserving of it. (Or maybe this is just the humble Asian in me talking.) 

So instead, please allow me to share about a few of my favourite nominees in the awards! It might seem like I’m sabotaging myself here, getting you to check out other blogs and vote for them. But honestly, the loving, supportive people behind these blogs are one of the many things that have kept me going and reaching new heights in my food writing/blogging career! (It can get a little lonely cooking and writing alone week after week, so it’s always pleasantly serendipitous when you connect with complete strangers on the thing that you’re both equally enamoured by – food!)

So in an effort to pass on and promote this culture of love and kindness in this little community I’m now a part of, here are a few of the people that I’ve been truly inspired by, all of which are nominees for the upcoming Saveur awards. (Congratulations y’all!)

Cardamom and Tea

Cardamom & Tea is a blog on Assyrian cuisine, a niche you don't hear about every day eh! The writer behind it, Kathryn, has been nothing short of wonderful and encouraging in supporting me and tons of other bloggers out there. She's spread the news on so many wonderful bloggers out there through her "Follow Friday" posts. And her love is just so infectious! Plus, I'm learning so much about dolmas and booshalas and fattoushes and ghraybehs and all these Middle Eastern food that just 3 months ago, I wouldn't have known how to pronounce, let alone cook!

Cravings Journal

Okay this one might be a little biased, but I studied with Lorena (the blog's creator-mother) for 6 months in culinary school! She’s been blogging for a lot longer than I have, and her drive is truly admirable. I mean, this girl posts 3-4 recipes and photos on her blog every week, and runs a full-fledged Youtube channel with step-by-step cooking videos too. So based on pure grit and tenacity alone, she’s definitely a lot more deserving of her award than I am of mine.

Maangchi

Ah, Maangchi - the endlessly endearing auntie whom I’ve learnt so much Korean cooking from in the first throes of my cooking career. From kimchis to ramyuns to homemade ddeonjjang, her bubbly personality and weird ticks makes her videos extra entertaining to watch! She's like the cute kitchen goddess Korean ajumma we all wish we had.

Cahier No. 1

I got to know Vanessa's blog really recently through the awards, where she’s nominated for “Best New Voice” too, the same category I’m in. So technically we’re competitors, but the concept of her blog is so so cool (she cooks from notebooks left behind by her grandmother), it’d be a real injustice not to share it! (Vanessa, if you’re reading this, can’t wait to read your journey from Cahier #1 through #7!)

There are a ton more amazing bloggers and food writers out there, some of which are nominated in the awards, but many more who aren't. I'll definitely share about them with time, but for now, do 

So vote away, guys! Show these people your love by voting for them! (And if you have a few votes leftover, maybe you could spare some for me too.) 😋 Vote here!

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Also, usually when people win awards and accolades, they might do a little giveaway as a show of thanks, giving back to the community that supported them, so to speak. But unfortunately, this sponsor-less blogger is poor af at the moment, so all there is to 'give away' are these terribly embarrassing photos of me, where I forced my awkward-self to pose naturally for the camera (but clearly failed).

So, thank you, each and every one of you, for taking the time to read all the funky recipes I come up with. Thank you for all your support, and for being the reason I can do what I do today! Enjoy..?