Flatiron Flavor

Biography

Finding Balance

Several people have asked me why I have a food blog, what I write about, and what the purpose of having this blog is. To help answer these questions, I thought that adding my own bit to the biography section would be helpful.

A year and a half ago, I moved from Ellicott City, Maryland to Boulder, Colorado. I had a great job opportunity that I could not turn down. I literally had 4 weeks to uproot my life at home and start a new life in Colorado.  After searching for a place to live, I finally settled on a condo in South Boulder. The living situation was not ideal by any means, but it was a great location and there was a roof over my head.  Every day I would commute an hour each way to Denver for work. These commutes seemed like long hours of wasted time and I became very lonely sitting on the bus. It was very difficult to move to a place without the support and love of your family and friends just a few minutes away. I only knew a few people, who are all fantastic, but it wasn’t quite like I was used to.

My life was very unbalanced until this past fall. I always treated Colorado as a temporary living situation and never as my home. After joining several soccer teams, moving into a wonderful new house with great housemates, doing more fun activities with Kevin, and having a wonderful kitchen to cook in, my life feels a lot better! This Thanksgiving was the first time I was able to be excited about what Colorado has to offer. Hopefully it continues in this direction!

Back at home I started reading a few food blogs just to pass the time, but reading the food blogs became a very regular thing for me on my long commutes here in Colorado.  It was a happy escape from the stress of work, having a new relationship, and my then current living situation. Reading the blogs was a way for me to learn new ideas for cooking, organizing my life, and exercising. I talked about the food bloggers and their lives so much that I felt as if I have known them for years. Kevin always asked me to start my own blog, but I never thought it was possible. I’m not a writer and I’m not a photographer. I’m just a person who loves food!

Receiving this blog was the most thoughtful Christmas present I have ever received. I couldn’t be happier to have this outlet. I love sharing my life out here with my family and friends back east. My hope is that this blog will be a place for me to show my path to a more balanced life with work, friends, my relationship, and eating/exercising. Maybe someone else will benefit from this blog as I have benefitted from reading (and still read!) food blogs.

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Ahn Ei, born with a love of intense flavors, was adopted by a mother and father who each came from large Irish-American families where the food was bland so as to offend no one. Thus, she had many loving aunts and uncles, but not much inspired home cooking.

Ahn Ei herself found her way to interesting food at every opportunity. Invited by the neighbors, Ahn Ei, still in diapers, toddled into a deli and selected a dill pickle – loved it. On vacation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina with family friends, the Clairs, while the other children picked up sea shells to listen to the ocean, Ahn Ei picked up hundreds of coquina shells which she and Mrs. Clair cooked to make a fine broth. The coquina collecting was interspersed with endless runs of cartwheels across the beach.

When Ahn Ei was accepted at the University of Delaware, she didn’t know what she wanted to major in. Her parents asked her the obvious question: “What do you like, what interests you?” The answer, “Food.” The end result: a B.S. in Dietetics from UD, followed by a one year dietetic internship with the University of Maryland, and success on the Registered Dietitian exam.

Her first job as a dietitian was with the Maryland State Department of Education, reviewing all Child Nutrition Programs. A few years later she moved to Boulder, Colorado to accept a similar job. Boulder seems like a perfect environment for Ahn Ei — she can ski and hike as well as run and play soccer. But there aren’t many Korean restaurants. Good thing Ahn Ei likes to cook!

Living in Boulder provides many unique opportunities for  people following different diets and requiring special dietary needs. There are several vegan, organic, and gluten-free stores and restaurants. Three seasons of the year downtown Boulder is home to the local farmers market. Biweekly, local farmers and vendors come to the downtown area to sell their local flavor. Lucky for Ahn Ei she is surrounded by housemates and loved ones that enjoy food as much as she does. During the warm months Ahn Ei and her housemates often make it to the farmers market to pick up some fresh produce and other good eats for family dinner.

Family dinner became a big hit with her housemates. The fresh food and fantastic cooking, coupled with wine and family fun, became irresistible. Slowly, boyfriends and friends started joining in on family dinner. Attendance has grown to over 20 people regularly attending. It has developed into a themed occasion where everyone comes with a dish inspired by the theme. Popular themes have included Tapas, Butternut Squash, Sushi/Japanese, Hawaiian Luau, and more. Everyone gets very into their dishes. The Butternut Squash meal in particular included soup, lasagna, squash balls, and even squash cocktails. It’s no wonder why wine has such a welcome home at these occasions. It’s lucky for everyone else that Ahn Ei is a self-declared California wine connoisseur (and worthy of the title). Her trips to Napa and Sonoma were full of as many questions as there were tastings resulting in perfect pairings completing the meals exquisitely.

With all this food and fun its a wonder how Ahn Ei maintains such a striking figure.  Fortunately for her, she enjoys exercising just about as much as she loves food. Growing up her sport of choice was soccer. She continues to dominate on defense in several leagues since moving to Boulder. However, the mountains have consumed this beach loving beauty and she has taken a  quick liking to hiking. When hiking becomes difficult in the winter months, you can still find her atop the tallest mountains, sporting the winter gear and a pair of skis. Ahn Ei quickly passed the ranks of ski bunny and is now a force to be reckoned with carving out the stereotypical “S” on black diamonds and powdery bowls.

The beautiful Boulder weather, boasting 300 days of sunny skis, is ideal to any outdoor adventure. Living just a few miles from the Flatirons, Ahn Ei’s hardest decision is not whether to hike, it’s which trail should she hike. She has tackled nearly every hike on the map at the local Chautauqua Park (home to the famous Flatirons).  A yearly pass to Rocky Mountain National Park has been a great purchase even during the cold and snowy months. Recently Ahn Ei has started to tackle the Colorado 14ers. Mountains beware!

Looking back it’s amazing all that Ahn Ei has accomplished during her first year or so in Boulder. This Baltimore native quite often finds herself missing home, her family, and her friends. And they miss her, very much. To stay connected to the people that she loves, Ahn Ei hopes to share what she loves – food and activities. Stay tuned to the Blog to keep tabs on all the great food and fun Ahn Ei is experiencing in Boulder. Enjoy a taste of Boulder through Ahn Ei’s perspective of “Flatiron Flavor!”