About Me

Places I’ve lived: Milwaukee, New York City, Chicago, St. Paul, and Minneapolis

Schools I’ve attended: St. Norbert College (literature) and New York University (literary theory)

Liabilities I’ve incurred: Two cats, one vintage apartment, and a few jobs in book publishing

About me: I’m Carrie. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it hasn’t always been like this.

Like a motherly matchmaker, I think about food when I’m driving home from work. (Will the tamarind sauce make a better match for the fish or the chicken?) I eat exclusively at local restaurants and explore the selection at a new co-op every time I travel. I think reading the food section in the newspaper is the epitome of a civilized week. When I meet people I like, I want to cook for them, extravagantly. And when the wind blows in the right direction and a date ends with a kiss, my mind goes to town and invariably starts planning our first meal.

We eat because we have to. It’s a basic function and a relatively mundane fact of life. So why all the fuss about food?

Because food gives us a vital sense of connection. When I use a cookbook, I’m learning about the author who carefully created it. When I order a meal, I’m experiencing the creativity of the chef who envisioned it. When I’m shopping for food, I’m part of my community, and when I’m reading restaurant and food reviews, I’m enjoying the writer’s perspective and forming an opinion of my own. As I see it, nobody eats alone.

I cook and eat adventurously because it allows me to experience other cultures and people. Learning to cook is a satisfying pursuit that allows me to keep learning–and I never want to get stale. I love planning meals and hosting dinners because it lets me follow my instincts, express myself, and bring people together. And, when it comes down to it, hunger and desire are essentially the same thing. I like to explore them both and see what comes of it.

Write to me at carrieobry@gmail.com.