Birthday Pizza

Flyagande Jakob Pizza

Happy Birthday little blog! You are ten years old today, and that was my favorite age to be when I was growing up. I started posting at Cultural Construct because I knew something excited was about to happen and I wanted to document it for myself. I've never believed in being bored, and I've never relied on someone else to entertain me, so I knew my life was about to explode because I was running toward adventure. 

Ten years later and I look back on an amazing time. It started with the Icon Solar House, and moved on into completing my masters degree, writing a column for my hometown paper, traveling the country doing demos and teaching (and judging a hotdish competition), appearing on lots of tv shows including the BBC, traveling to Sweden, writing my first book, signing a contract to write the second book, and hanging out with some amazing people along the way. Life is so full that I don't always include my adventures here anymore, even though we continue to celebrate and grieve together, almost always including food in our rituals.

I don't come here as often as I used to, but I know my little blog is waiting for me whenever I've got something to say. And today I want to say "Happy Birthday!"

Some of the coolest things I've discovered in the past ten years are foods that are new to me and that I adore. Flygande Jakob is a Swedish hotdish is one of those foods, and when I describe it to the uninitiated they give me puzzled looks. Flying Jacob is layers of chicken, bananas, whippped cream and Heinz chili sauce garnished with peanuts and bacon and ladled over hot rice. It is as delicious as it is surprising and this summer I toyed with it, adding it to a pizza. I served Flying Jacob pizza at Hostfest last week and guests gobbled it up eagerly. Get the recipe here, and thanks for celebrating with me!