Versatile Blogger Awards - Pass it on

Recently, I was nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by my twitter friend, Leila, @PersianLiving who writes a wonderful blog of the same name. Check it out here. If you like Persian food and culture with a hint of British humor, you'll like Leila.

I have to admit I didn't know what the Versatile Blogger Awards were all about so I immediately went out and bought a tuxedo and started preparing an acceptance speech. It was all about thanking my beautiful and talented wife for cooking the food I write about. I was working on a witty closing joke when it occurred to me that I might be overreaching just a bit. So I goggled  Versatile Blogger Awards and found this. Seems I might have gotten a little carried away. What? No awards ceremony? No red carpet? No Joan Rivers asking me who I'm wearing?

Anyone need a tuxedo?

The basis of this clever award is that those of us in the blogging community should support each other in a "pay it forward" kind of way. Hmmm, seems I've heard this (written about it) before.

The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are:

• Mention and thank the person who has nominated you.
• Write 5 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5 other bloggers for the award.
• Let those bloggers know.

My 5 random facts

1. I have two American Cocker Spaniels - Cooper and Jack.Cooper is kind and gentle. Jack is a madman.
2. I am a fair to middling golfer with a handicap that fluctuates between 8-10.
3. I don't eat eggs - things with eggs in them, OK - eggs, nope.
4. I believe that poker is 2/3 skill and only 1/3 luck.
5. I'm a big supporter of Meatless Mondays but I am not a vegetarian.

Trying to identify 5 bloggers to nominate wasn't easy because there are so many good ones out there. Since Leila was nominated by someone else, I can't nominate her, but I would if I could.

So, here goes.....

Val's Food and/or Art - Val is an active blogger who writes about good solid home cooking. Her posts are fun and always make me hungry.

Studio Kitchen - This one is a bit of a wild card. It's written by an amazing chef named Shola who is doing some very interesting things with food. Don't try these things at home (you don't have the equipment he has anyway). I've had the pleasure of eating his creations one time and hope to do so again sometime soon.

Tastefully Julie - Well written, good pictures and she does a blog hop. Don't know what that is? Check her out.

delicieux - Written by Anneli Faiers. She's a private chef making lots of very interesting things - in France - yes, France. Must be good, right?

Foodwriting - AWaiting Table - Silvestro runs a cooking school in Salento, Italy. His blog entries make us want to go there and eat his food and Calabria is where my grandparents came from (is that fact #6?)

Pass it on.