On food, memory, travel and discovery
My guest feature on Beth Bollinger’s Substack, Nest Wellness, and a recipe for Sri Lankan coconut-lime sheet pan chicken and vegetables
To everyone new here, welcome. I’m Elizabeth, the writer of The Delicious Bits Dispatch, a weekly missive for the curious, blending discovery, reflection, and musings, always wrapped up with a seasonal recipe worth lingering over.
There’s a moment every creative person remembers — the instant you realize you’ve found your people.
For me, that moment arrived in 2011 at a food blogging event in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. And what I learned went well beyond what I imagined that weekend might be about: SEO, monetization, or writing the perfect post.
I learned that a moment can be an idea. That the hardest part of getting a great photo is getting past yourself. That you need a point of departure - what, exactly, are you trying to say with those words? That photo? The post? And that it’s okay not to know the answer to those questions when you put pen to paper. It was the beginning of a lifelong love of food writing.
That same spirit of community—curious, generous, and endlessly creative—is what I’ve rediscovered on Substack. It feels like coming full circle.
It’s best exemplified by of Nest Wellness, whose generosity and genuine interest in connecting food writers has created a space where collaboration feels effortless. She’s reminded many of us why we started writing in the first place: to exchange ideas, inspiration, and a love of good food.
This week, I had the joy of talking with Beth about that journey: how I stumbled into food writing; my humble beginnings and my whirlwind career in global hospitality; what I’ve learned from eating my way around the world; and why food will always be more than sustenance for me.
Plus, I developed a new recipe especially for Nest Wellness, one that reflects my love of discovery and the thrill of exploring new cuisines when I travel: Sri Lankan–Inspired coconut-lime sheet pan chicken and vegetables.
It’s bright, balanced, and deeply comforting — a dish that brings a sense of adventure to your own kitchen. I know you’ll love it too.
You can read the full interview (and get the recipe!) here:
If you try the recipe, I’d love to see your version: tag me on Instagram at @seasonsofpossibility so I can share your creations. See you next week!
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"I learned that a moment can be an idea. That the hardest part of getting a great photo is getting past yourself. That you need a point of departure - what, exactly, are you trying to say with those words? That photo? The post? And that it’s okay not to know the answer to those questions when you put pen to paper." This is so well put. I often don't know what I want to say when I start writing, or when I start working on a recipe, but that point of departure is key! It's the spark of an idea that, if I'm willing to follow it, sometimes leads to the best places.