the orgin of a reluctant early bird

Hello, welcome to my blog. I was a little stuck on the "about me" section of my profile so I opted to just to mention some things I've been involved with here. I began working at eight. My first job was performing as an extra with the Paris opera Ballet while they toured the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. I continued to focus on Ballet throughout my youth eventually ending up at The Kirov Ballet school also in Washington. The ballet portion of my life ends there. Dislocated Shoulder. The doctors could either staple me back together and I couldn't dance or I could try for rehabilitation. After a year or so of attempts to fix that pesky shoulder It became clear I needed a new avenue. Ballet dancers are perhaps some of the strangest most dedicated to their art people in the world, leaving the injured dancer a multitude of questions concerning what to do with one's self if not dancing. "Hope it heals" many would say as I trotted off to pursue other things. I began to focus my studies on music and Philosophy. Played in bands up and down the east coast and into the Midwest. As any touring musician will tell you Food service jobs not only provide a paycheck; they have food there. I had become a vegetarian in middle school so I went to work at Whole foods in Ann Arbor Michigan. I discovered organic food and became devoted. I was not however devoted to working at 5 am my shift in the produce department. I kept it up for a while but when the opportunity arose to change jobs I ran for it. I ran all the way to Zingerman's Deli. If you do not know this place go there, look it up on line, call them, just get there somehow they have Great food! They even named a sandwich after me (jon P's Upstream Odyssey). I managed their Cafe "Next Door" Ironically starting my day at 5am . I learned so much about food (especially coffee) I became annoying to myself. It was too late I became a "Foodie". I was spoiled, I tasted foi gras, ate Roquefort blue cheese, panzanella Salads, fresh baked breads, had $100 dollar bottles of olive oil just sitting out on my counter. After a time I had no alternative. California. Hello wine country, fresh produce, cheese made moments before I entered an establishment. Yes we are very spoiled. I moved to San Francisco ( I had been out there when I was younger for Ballet School) . I worked as a bartender/server at Ti Couz a crepery with a traditional menu of sweet or savory crepes. I later moved to Oakland and spent a few years as the front of the house manager of Carrara's cafe. An amazing place located inside a car dealership run by Paul Carrara. I moved again to Santa Cruz. I worked briefly at the Saturn Cafe an all night diner specializing in vegetarian food. I then began cooking in other restaurants ending up (Briefly) as the sous chef at Blue water Steak house (long since my 15 year stint of vegetarianism). I love cooking and will fill in for friends in the kitchen now and again but much prefer my reincarnation at Diamond Organics where I start my day again at around 5am. As long as that summary of me was I definitely omitted many many things. I just wanted to give some background for these writings. They will primarily focus on ingredients and dishes I come across daily and think you might find interest in, I have discovered that just information about the food we take in can help change our perceptions of the world we live in. Hope! It heals, jp