entering a new season.

Starting over is only difficult if you think about it as starting over. this is just THE next chapter for me.

It’s been two years since my last post, and two years of dreading “getting back”. We all do this sometimes, right? We take a hiatus from something we love, give ourselves reasons not to continue until we’re so far away from the path we were on — that there is no ‘getting back’, because it’s become ‘starting over’. I told myself I had no time for this, my apartment kitchens were too small, I’m not a photographer, I don’t have many followers, I don’t have a plan, I’m not even the best cook I know out of all my friends. That list of reasons feels endless.

The last two years has been full of movement. I’ve lived in three cities and had two jobs. We all lived through a pandemic and stumbled through new ways of life. Inside each of those days, a blank page and a kitchen have been my safest spaces. In some ways, the kitchen has become a blank page in itself. When I’ve felt lost, it’s where I go to feel and find myself. I have created more than ever before, but I just haven’t been sharing it.

I’m in a new season of life, and I’m ready to share.

The next chapter of Eat Date Drink is The Wild Lemon. This chapter is about community, creating meals that bring people together and evoke a feeling of comfort. It’s going to be messy, delicious, and wild. It’s about creating, sharing, and learning — not impressing, competing, or influencing.

Each month, you can expect 4-6 recipes — pastas, soups, sides, and proteins. These recipes will be complimented by a specific wine region or regions [whichever I’m studying as part of my Certified Wine Specialist certification that month]. The final version of each recipe will be tested at my monthly Supper Club this season. This is an event open to my close family and friends. Seats at my dining room table are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you live in Baltimore and would like to join, please reach out to me for the password to join us.

Let’s eat wild.

xo, Ashly