Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Franklin.
Sydney, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Many of my earliest memories with my grandparents involve food. When my sister and I were little, we spent summers in East Texas with our paternal grandparents on their 20 or so acres of farmland. My grandfather and namesake would let my sister and I toss seeds in the ground as he explained the importance of the warm sun and a good rain shower. My grandmother taught us how to shuck corn, shell peas, snap green beans, and make homemade jelly at such a young age that we were watching Saturday morning cartoons while doing these things to pass the time. For many generations, farming was a way of life for our family – For my grandparents, I think it has become a hobby.
My maternal grandmother is the person who taught me the value of a good oatmeal cookie, in all its wondrous versatility. “Oatmeal cookies,” she’d say, can be eaten “any time of day, including breakfast because it’s just like eating a bowl of oatmeal… and oatmeal’s good for the heart.” I admire my grandmother so much, especially now as I continue into adulthood. She raised seven (7) kids, for the most part, on her own, but she always managed to put food on the table.
Each of my grandparents knew what I’ve come to realize: food is essential. And I think this is what inspired me to begin my food blog. Food is essential to growth, food is essential to development. Food is essential to nourishment. And growth, development, and nourishment are not always physical. Food can be life-changing (literally, in some cases) and food is often an element in world affairs (see The Last Supper and any State Dinner ever).
We’d love to hear more about your work.
It’s no secret among my friends and family that I’m a wanderlust enthusiast. I see “A Culinary Passport” as a visual edition of my culinary passport. I work to understand how history and culture shape our diverse nation and, in turn, our global political arena. There are few better ways, to do this – in my opinion – than through people, conversation, and the thing that they dig most, food.
I pick the places that I eat, especially when I travel, with intentionality, doing my best to try new places and avoid eating anywhere I can eat when in Dallas/the States. I also try and eat at local, often hole-in-the-wall or off-the-beaten-path places that are unique to the city or country that I’m visiting. I seek recommendations upon arrival from “regular” people (at airports, in taxis, local friends, etc.) because I firmly believe they know the REAL spots.
Each post features the person with which I shared the meal – A little quip about them, insight into something we discussed, or perhaps a note about our relationship. I think many food blogs these days focus on the food, which is obvious, but I’m particularly interested in the people and our relation to the food.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
As a “new” blog, I’m still navigating the social media scene and the demand for new content. I try not to put too much pressure on myself to post because I think that my blog should be something that is enjoyable to me, interesting to others, and obligation-free for all parties involved. That being said, I do understand that continuous new content is necessary for success, so I’m working to automate the posting as much as possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: aculinarypassport@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ACulinaryPassport
- Facebook: @ACulinaryPassport
Image Credit:
Alana Gill
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