About me.

Welcome to thelocalspoon.com, my blog where I go to virtually procrastinate when I’m not procrastinating in the kitchen.

I am 25. I live in San Francisco with my boyfriend and my dog, both of whom like to eat my various kitchen creations and only one of whom is supposed to. I like cooking, and feeding people, and especially eating. I love that food and the production of food and everything about the way we eat touches infinite aspects of our society.

(Specifically, I love cheese and avocado and chocolate, in a varied hierarchy depending on my mood).

I have, like everyone, an assortment of memories and favorite moments spliced together around a patchwork of kitchen counters and dining room tables, all of which invariably surround food. There was my first cook book, that came with its own set of measuring spoons, that will forever be ingrained in my memory as one of the best gifts Of All Time. Grandma’s famous meatballs. Countless Friday Dinners. The time I was 14 and decided to host a dinner party for 60 people. Sitting on the kitchen table licking cookie dough off the beaters (we didn’t believe what they said about raw eggs). And of course my EZ bake oven (do they still make those? They should).

My love of food has continued to grow and bring me to exciting new places — cheesemaking in my kitchen, my first breads, heirloom tomato plots, dumpling-making in China, countless failed attempts at recipes that left me more frustrated than any family member cares to remember. And also some delicious meals with family and friends around countless tables and floors and sofas that together represent my most favorite and cherished moments.

In the wanderings of these pages I hope to share foods I’ve tasted, foods I want to taste, recipes I’ve tried and meals I’ve loved. I also hope to share resources and news I come across related to the Farm Bill and to agricultural policy in the US and abroad, since I am a nerdy food-loving sort. In short, this website is devoted to the many wanderings of my metaphorical and actual spoon. I hope you’ll wander with me.

Happy eating,

Steph(o) Lawrence

Where it all began: me (left), sister (middle) and mom.

PS. Occasionally this blog languishes in disuse, likely because I’ve found other means of procrastinating, like playing with my dog or visiting the farmers market or playing at gainful employment. I’ll come back. Keep checking!