GOAL: Writing for a Living.

NOW: Sitting in a coffee shop in Evanston.

A RANT of Sorts.

I got an email yesterday. A friend nicely thought of me and wanted to let me know of two women-in-food events that are happening this week. I'm not sure I'll go. They're both downtown. They both sound equally inviting: One is Terra Brockman speaking on her new book: The Seasons on Henry's Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm. The other is a discussion with five different Chicago female entrepreneurs. This is what stops me in my tracks. I want to go. This is right up my alley. EXACTLY what I want to be doing - either writing about food, and/or having my own food-related business. The problem? A seemingly silly one, although one which has probably been stopping my all along. I am jealous. Is this crazy? I should be happy for these women. But I'm not. I know why. It is because I am capable of starting out on my own..I'm just scared.

Foodies are all around us these days. They have always been all around me, growing up with two foodie parents and many relatives, and a bunch of my friends are foodies as well. Just as I'm sitting in this cafe, the people next to me are talking food. One has pictures from last night's dinner. So what's holding me back? I went to school for this. I went BACK to school for this. I have loans for this. People without a culinary degree venture out on their own all of the time. I find excuses: new baby (not so new now), not enough money, (most never have enough) not a new idea. I'm thinking now, no ideas are new, they evolve out of old ones or improve on old ones. THIS I CAN HANDLE. I DO have an idea: a truffle business. I saw one at the Uncommon Ground farmers market this summer. A teeny tiny market, a one-woman-show of a truffle business. Just because she's out there, by no means means I can't be. Competition is good. I can start out small, in my kitchen, selling to friends.

The funny thing is, I didn't love the pastry part of culinary school. Even staying on to get a pastry certificate, I didn't love it. I am a savory person. But I adored my chocolate class. Who wouldn't?

Truffles are fun. They're manageable. People love them. People are happy when they get them. I wouldn't want to start a catering company. Small cooking classes, yes. A restaurant? Oh no..not for me. But truffles? Yes. I need a name. I need recipes. I need flavors. But most of all, I need motivation. This is the start.