food is..

cheering on your fino restaurant family at slow food austin's quizbowl (even though they're not doing so hot)

but butchering a pig for auction makes all things better...

especially when you eat it in a sandwich with amazing pickles @ the noble pig

realizing your true passion lies in a sotol cocktail rather than an improv class

remembering simplicity in cooking a summery shrimp salad

candlelight cupcakes.

A big thank you to Martha Stewart for providing me with a romantic evening in:

Ingredients

• For the Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • Sprinkles, for decorating

• For the Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line the cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a liquid-measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla; set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk-vanilla mixture, then remaining dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
   
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (a 2-ounce or 1/4-cup ice-cream scoop is good for this).
   
4. Place tin on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in tin, then remove and cool completely on a rack before frosting.
   
5. Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in up to 1/2 cup more sugar or a few more teaspoons of milk as necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency. Makes enough for 12 cupcakes.
   
6. Frost cupcakes; decorate with sprinkles before frosting dries to ensure that they stick. The frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day.
   

Food Photography.

I have had this recent obsession with food blogs involving gorgeous photography. I, in turn, am jealous. Now I'm desperate for a DSLR. I think it might be an investment I look into soon for the future of this lowly little food blog. Here is the most recent inspiration:

Earl Carter Photography
Happyolks
Apt. 2B Baking Co.
poco-cocoa

Thank you to those I know who do what you do and those who I don't who I admire from far away.

What we've all been missing..

Some things I've done that I have not written about include: midnight strawberry pancakes and bacon, a new obsession with pour-over coffee, pork buns and chicken thighs from a trailer, numerous tea sandwiches and pots of Assam, Osmanthus, and Oolong, my second and more successful time at Asia Cafe, another venture to dough with three hardcore New Jerseyans and many, many fast food burgers. I'm realizing I'm not documenting nearly as enough as I want to.

What I have documented:

reconnecting with old friends over pisco sours at la condesa

getting amazing news from your best friend over pizza and kale salad (don't get queasy, jack)

having a texas experience with your friends from back east

It's time to make more of a concerted effort to create more food experiences and record them. In whichever way I feel artistically inclined. It's time for more recognition of my everyday food experiences that I take for granted. Time to pull out the camera and take the time to appreciate my relationship with food. I hope you'll join me.