I think about food almost all the time. I have, for as long as those flashy, gleaming, adrenaline-packed shows have existed, lived vicariously through the chefs, food critics, and food writers I see on television. Once upon a time, I had thought I might quit my day job and take up cheffing, but I have accepted that the lifestyle of a professional kitchen is not for me. But the passion for food remains, and over the years, has developed into the desire to find a way to make it a pursuit. 

The job that pays me, and one I quite enjoy, is teaching music at a public school down the road from me. I live in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, far up toward the Canadian border. The town in which I live has another 1200 or so residents, and to find the nearest stoplight, you need to drive about 15 miles. My house sits on a dirt road, on 5 acres of steadily encroaching forest. It’s quiet, and it’s very green, for a few months anyway, between long winters, and glorious autumns. Being in such a rural area of the world can be somewhat limiting to a burgeoning food adventurer. Of course, Boston is a short three hours southeast, lovely and hip Burlington and the super cool Champlain Valley is two hours west, and Montreal, three hours north. There are many amazing food experiences in these places to be well worth the drive, but it is certainly not an every-weekend kind of thing. And, in case you haven’t heard, public school teachers don’t actually bank all that much 🙂

Rebellious Belly is my first foray into food writing, and where I will muse about all things food. This blog is about carving out space for the new experiences of those of us just discovering all the delicious, creative, and captivating food in the world. I love how both music and food are essential parts to one’s identity, and it is fascinating to learn the history of our globe through the lens of the delights we all share in common. Here, I resist the pretentious snobbery found in many areas of the foodiarchy. Here, I will revel in all of the new culinary discoveries from around the world, all the spectacular failures of home cookery in my tiny, under-equipped kitchen, and every bit of understanding I gain about myself and this journey.

Rebellious Belly may not have existed had it not been for the encouragement and enthusiastic support of my love, aka. Eric. Thank you for sharing this with me 🙂

We’re hoping to succeed; we’re okay with failure. We just don’t want to land in between.

David Chang

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