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A few weeks ago, I was faced with a dinner party challenge worthy of the Iron Chefs. I was hosting dinner for eight people -- one who doesn't eat beef, one who doesn't eat chicken and one who doesn't eat seafood. And the thought of cooking pork before the official end of summer sounded worse than wearing white after Labor Day.

I did the next best thing to watching a Food Network marathon and called my friend Cecelia Thompson. A few months ago, Thompson started writing a delightful food blog called Mod Meals on Mendenhall (modmealsonmendenhall.com). I told her about my dilemma, and she didn't hesitate for a minute before suggesting Summertime Pasta with Brie and Tomatoes.

The impetus for Thompson's blog was boredom and a lifelong love affair with food that was inspired by her parents. "It was summer, it was hot, and I needed something to do," Thompson recalled.

Thompson, 26, director of projects for Action Greensboro, often is featured in articles about young professionals in the Triad. "I kept getting asked what my hobbies were, and I didn't want to look like a workaholic," she said.

So she did a little research on blogs, decided very quickly on a name (Thompson lives on Mendenhall Street) and posted her first recipe: Italian Chopped Salad.

Two weeks later, she "came out" on Facebook and posted the link to Mod Meals. She got 50 hits on her blog that day and some funny comments from friends, including one who told her, "You're much too social to be a blogger."

Thompson posts five days a week and "pre-cooks" recipes so she has a backlog of material to share with her readers. She doesn't consider herself to be a great writer, but she finds the format of blogging relaxing because it doesn't have to be perfect. "I just don't take myself too seriously," Thompson said.

Her initial posts included photos of her creations taken with her iPhone. Her father, Tommy Thompson, is a well-known fisherman, writer and photographer in Gainesville, Fla., Thompson's hometown. He insisted that Thompson use her digital camera for better pictures. He's also known to send edits when she misspells something. Her mother, Mary, goes into work early so she can start her day by reading her daughter's blog and is usually the first to post a comment.

Thompson's culinary muses are her parents, and she grew up cooking in the kitchen with them and her older sister. "We rarely went out to eat when I was a kid, and today I'd still rather share dinner at someone's home than go out," she said.

Her school lunches were often prepared by her father, and instead of unwrapping a PB&J, Thompson would find a focaccia sandwich filled with fontina cheese, prosciutto and olive tapenade.

She giggled when I asked if she ever found Ding Dongs in her lunch bag, but she was quick to say that her parents were never food snobs. "My mother and I love to read all the food magazines, but we aren't inspired by the latest trends. My parents taught me the beauty of simple food done well," Thompson said.

A lot of the recipes that Thompson posts are family favorites, such as her Mom's flan and her Dad's seafood paella. She also shares recipes of some of her own favorite cooks, such as her idol Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes.

Thompson said the most challenging aspect of having a blog, besides the pressure to cook something five times a week, is articulating recipes in a way that her readers can successfully follow along.

"I never measure unless I'm baking," she said. "I hate cup measures; they're just one more thing to wash."

But readers often ask very specific questions such as "How do you know when it's done?"

Thompson laughs and said, "It just looks done."

I had to ask Thompson about the similarities between her blog and Julie Powell's, the Julie of "Julie & Julia" who chronicled her attempts to cook all of the recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Thompson smiled and said, "Julie Powell was depressed, and I'm not."

Thompson never wants her blog to be about her, but she does enjoy the aspect of sharing different parts of her life with her readers. When I met with Thompson -- over lunch, of course -- she was most excited about the menu for an upcoming "doggie" shower for her new puppy, Winston, a West Highland Terrier. Thompson was planning on serving hot dogs and shortbread cookies in the shape of dog bones.

And she's very excited about her upcoming holiday blogs, including Thanksgiving on Mendenhall. It will be a family affair, and her father has already announced that he will be the official photographer for the feast.

The Thompsons don't like the traditional Thanksgiving menu, so they'll probably be serving roast leg of lamb with some special Pommes Anna, the classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes.

Thompson and her sister, Maggie, like to "write" special messages such as "Happy Birthday" on top of the dish. It's something they've done since they were children.

Perhaps Winston, as the newest Thompson family member, should prevail over this year's Thanksgiving wish.

Bone appetit!

Addison Ore is the executive director of the Triad Health Project and a local freelance writer whose monthly column, A Broad View, occasionally focuses on issues facing the Triad's LGBT community. Contact her at vaore@aol.com.