At the end of 2009, I find myself a Chicagoan. Making the trek from Los Angeles included a few road stops along the way, from a Northern California quick trip to stage at Manresa to a week spent with the family outside Washington, DC. Now here I am in the very cold and windy city of Chicago to ring in the new year. If you pondered my absence at the end of 2009, know that I spent many a day thinking about La Vita Cucinare whilst I moved my way across the land.

This past year has been all about movement: I left Los Angeles to live on the East coast for a few months, then took my dream trip to Europe, staging at The Fat Duck, making goat cheese and working on organic farms, and eating my way through some truly great cities. Leaving the grand tour was a hard thing to do, but it brought me trips to Ashland, Oregon, San Fransisco, and Los Angeles. And with the one last trip, it’s time to settle in for a year of hard work and cold weather as I’ll attend Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. I’m sad to be through with my travels(at least momentarily) but I’m nervously excited about what the year has in store. Of course, with a new city, comes new food adventures and I’m excited to write about my culinary adventures in Chicago. 2010 promises to bring new food markets and restaurants, more literature of the gastronomical nature, recipes inspired by my new stomping grounds, and many more ways to live life for cooking.

So here’s a cheers to all you readers: Thanks for reading, commenting, and suggesting throughout my traveling adventures this past year and please keep it up into the next one! I’m thankful for all of you, and happy to share my culinary words with you. I wish all of you a fabulous end to 2009 and good things to eat in the new decade!