this is Me
For the longest time (like two years ago when I decided to create this blog), I didn’t want to be on the internet. I had things to say and I wanted a venue to say them, but I didn’t want people finding me. I didn’t want the internet world and the real world intersecting. It seemed like it would get complicated. People find you on Facebook, but you don’t necessarily want them knowing every detail of your life (aside from what you post as your Status every ten minutes). It’s not like I ever talk poorly about friends, family, or work – but sometimes it’s nice to have a clear boundary between your worlds.
Then it started getting complicated trying to keep everything separate. In reality, everything in my life is so intertwined that it’s almost silly to try and organize them differently. So, here I am. Who am I? Well, let me introduce myself.
I’m Leanne, a 30-something in Poway, California living what one could call an idyllic life. I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and work in San Diego as a civil engineer (doing water/wastewater planning). This is the only time you’ll hear me talk about where I work (I can learn about work-blogging fiascos from other bloggers, thank you). For the last seven years, I’ve been involved with the local section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and their Younger Member Forum. Through that organization, I’ve met countless other engineers through the country (and internationally) and had the opportunity to participate in numerous community service events. It may be considered professional networking, but it has an enormous social component to it.
I share my home with three dogs, a cat two cats, and two four three a handful of chickens. If I was zoned for a goat, I might have one. If miniature cows existed, I would definitely have one.
Everyone has something that has been a constant throughout their life, whether it’s art, music, friends, family, animals, writing, or just zoning out. For me, that constant has been food. I don’t know when it started or what got me focused, but that’s what it is. I’ve watched my mom bake since I was little and the only time I’ve suffered poor cooking was the year I had to eat meals from the Campus Housing meal plan. Food sustains me. I’m happiest cooking a good meal for friends or sometimes just me. I love baking something warm and sweet, enjoying a bite, and then sending the rest off to the office. I’ll read through cookbooks or magazines like they were an intriguing novel. A good meal makes me happy, a bad one actually makes me sad. Like the dogs, sometimes a good cookie is all I need to cheer me up.
Sometime in 2004, I came across someone’s review of a recipe she said she had tested for a recipe site. Having too much time on my hands and thinking it would be fun, I signed on as a recipe tester for Leite’s Culinaria. I’m proud and honored to now be considered one of their Senior Recipe Testers. The site publishes recipes from cookbooks, but because of their extensive testing process, you can be assured that any recipe on that site will work. If it doesn’t, it gets re-tested and if it fails, it’s taken off. I’m just as honored that David Leite let me participate as a recipe tester for his first cookbook, The New Portuguese Table. If anything, testing recipes keeps me in the kitchen and expands the types of dishes I’m comfortable cooking. It’s broadened my interests and gives me a reason to step out of the engineering world for a while. My job may be a practical decision, but it pays my bills; being part of a food community fuels my passion.
Since starting this blog, I’ve also done product reviews for MS&L. Sometimes, it’s looking at a website; others it’s reviewing actual products sent to me. This blog is also part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher Program and Tastemaker Program. Any reviews published here will distinctly describe whether I’ve received the product as part of a review campaign or it’s something I’ve purchased on my own and just happen to love.
You can read what I used to say, before I decided to out myself on the Internet.
Three Dog Kitchen 
Yay! I’m so excited you’ve joined the blog world. I must add you to my blogroll post-haste.
(: J
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so glad i found you again! we used to love your 3 dog bakery show and i still have recipes. i found you again from the leite’s culinaria site. i found that looking for portugese recipes.cooks illustrated is also hi on my list.
Ken
Do you have an email where i can send you an invitation to a sneak peek of restaurant week? if so, please e-mail me at email provided
I’ve read a few of your blogs and kindly requests permission to repost your blogs on our site. We’ll obviously give you credit and would be happy to let you self promote your blog in your entries and provide a link to your blog. If this is something that you’re at all interested in, please let me know.
Thanks!
Hello our favorite foodie!
It’s time for the January San Diego Restaurant Week and we once again want to invite you to one of our complimentary Sneak Peek dinners where you will have the opportunity to sample one of the amazing Restaurant Week dinners prepared by one of our fabulous chefs. That’s right, a free dinner at one of San Diego’s most celebrated restaurants. All you have to do is e-mail jenna@mcfarlanepromotions.com and we will pair you with one of our participating restaurants on either Tuesday, Jan. 11 or Wednesday, Jan 12th.
Please respond to jenna@mcfarlanepromotions.com by Monday, January 10th at Noon to secure your spot as we have limited availability and we definitely want you to be a part of this event!
Best Regards, Jenna
Wow! A Civil Engineer food blogger who lives in Poway!? I grew up in Poway but now live in Leucadia, am a structural engineer & just started a blog in January! So excited to find your blog!
Hi Leanne,
Found out about you from the article in the UT. Very cool! Reading about you and your husband Travis was very interesting. He and I like the same things, but I am crazy about camping and stream fishing for trout in the Eastern Sierras, too.
Anyway, I’m writing to you to tell you about my newly launched website, MrMomsList.com. It’s a side-by-side comparison of up to 5 local grocery stores’ weekly sales prices. People are trying to save money everywhere they can, and I think this concept of mine is way overdue.
Please check it out. If you would like, perhaps we could do some reciprocal promotion with a link, article, or whatever on each others’ sites at no cost. Your site has its roots in restaurant reviews, blogs and recipes, but perhaps you could put my link under “Other Stuff On the Web”.
Thanks very much for considering this- and keep up the awesome site! it’s very cleanly and attractively done. Best,
Steve – “Mr. Mom”
This may not be what is supposed to be put in a comment, but I’m going to take a chance. I am looking for the Tamale Pie recipe that was used in the San Diego City School cafeterias 30 or more years ago. Do you have it, or have any idea where I might try to find it? Any help would be very much appreciated.
“if we were zoned for a goat, I would have one”
Hahaha, I love this! And I feel exactly the same way – goats are awesome
I don’t know if you’re still updating tis blog, but I came across an eggplant walnut pate dish recipe that you made, and it was delicious, it helped me get through this awful birthday i’m having. Thank you leanne.