What has Celebration, nomination and sticky pork got to do with each other? Nothing really, except my heart is doing little somersaults every time I look back at the word nomination beside my name. Before I continue on that nomination let me start with the celebratory news; with my one year blog anniversary fast approaching, I am just in the midst of a lot of new changes, for the blog and my personal life as well. With the likes of a new job (woooooo! oh my i'm excited) and a new house (wooooooo! some more excitement), my life is taking a  huge detour for the better. And to add to all this celebratory news.. 'the nomination' for a storytelling award. I was recently nominated for my for storytelling ability (which i really don't feel is noteworthy), by a lovely young lady Arva, in actuality... since this post has been delayed for sooo long I have to add that I have 2 nominations now; and the second is from another young lady Rebecca Gabbai. Arva is notoriously popular as the frying pan lady known for her curiosity to poke around the hidden gems and often looked-over restaurants in Dubai, the genius behind I live in a Frying Pan, and the mastermind of foodie tours in Dubai; and Rebecca on the other hand doesn't fall a penny short, organizing inspirational food gatherings, bringing in fabulous food ideas from all across the globe and much more, go on... read more on her lovely blog epicurUAEn. My first ever nominations for my baby blog and did this bring a smile to my face or what. I was pleasantly surprised, didn't expect it the least... but I am going to have to admit, my writing is no where comparable to Miss Frying Pan herself. Writing and story telling is as much an art as cooking and photography is, and being able to narrate your passion for food with a collection of a few melodious words and photographs gives birth to another art- Blogging. It really is not as easy as 1,2 and 3, But I find that with most blogs and even mine, being able to get people to live your experience is hard. Arva couldn't have said it better in her recent post; "there are very, very, VERY, few food bloggers who are consistent storytellers". Storytelling is the art of engaging someone to read pages of politics like it was a bedtime story. Very few blogs take you into a fairytale world and vividly make you imagine their every word, taste their every spoon and breathe their every aroma. EZ is my journal, my culinary journey, a documentation of my food adventures that allows me to go back to recipes that my mind fails to retain and relive those few snippets of memories associated with my kitchen escapades. Some of my favorite storytellers (sadly I don't believe I can pick Arva again, but she would definitely be a first along with another favorite The Hedonista who I can't pick since she was a fellow nominee picked up by Arva.) - Masala Herb: (this lady makes me miss home; being goan you would think I know quite a bit.. wrong! this lady is the ultimate Goan food discoverer. Every one of her posts takes you on a journey and makes you wonder whats next. -  La Mere Culinnaire: the lady who is bound to put a smile on your face on every one of Emirati food posts - Sips and Spoonfuls: the lady who doesn't just post immaculate pictures but who has also hit the nail on the head when it comes to hosting a well rounded food blog - Chef and Steward: The handsome couple who's lovely nature just seeps out from their writing and their blog. - Platetrotter: The lady behind all the quirky writing of her foodie travels. As for the random fact about me (which the competition requires me to share); for the most part I am pretty much a normal person, with the exception of a few things that "people" told me are just.. bizzare. For some reason I can't seem to drink the last sip in a glass/cup/mug. I simply can't get myself to do it! Whether it be water, tea, juice, or even wine. Since I was a kid I was told to leave behind the last sip as a courtesy sip to not seem greedy, and since then it has been a struggle. Speaking of struggles,  thankfully I never choke or struggle at the sight of food; I love cooking it, being teased by the aromas and ofcourse basking in the glory of every bite. To wind up the long long post, I'd like to share this recipe this mouth watering, soft, tender and mildly spiced sticky pork that I came up with.... one that will make you lick your fingers, one that will make you want to talk to your dish and say "Pork-you-mine". Enjoy! [gmc_recipe 2006] Eaternally Yours, Drina C.