Austin

One of the things on my list this year was to play at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin. Originally, both my band and my boyfriend's band Diehard hoped to tour down and play, but that turned out not to be financially feasible for either. I could have waited to see if it would work out next year, but who knows if it ever will, so the two of us decided to go this year as a vacation.We stayed with Evan's friend Aaron, who was an amazing...

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The Year of Cocktails

This is turning out to be the year of cocktails. I was never much into cocktails before, generally dismissing them as too expensive. But lately I've learned the pleasure of sipping on something deliciously classy rather than filling myself with beer.For the party I helped my boyfriend host last month, we set up a full bar with some quirky mixers. Evan made habanero infused tequila for margaritas following this recipe, sans grapefruit. Thank you to...

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The Savings of Biking

Now that it's been a full year since I started bike commuting, I thought I would look back to determine how much I saved. The cost of public transportation keeps rising in New York City, where an unlimited monthly pass went from $89 to $104 last year -- and there is word of another fare hike coming up in the next year. So in addition to the health and environmental benefits of biking, it can also save you some cash.Over the past year, I averaged...

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Beet Cocoa Cupcakes

I helped my boyfriend throw a party last month and was rearing to bake some interesting cupcakes, as I hadn't made any since my birthday party in December. I decided to try my recipe for chocolate zucchini cupcakes with pureed roasted beets in place of zucchini -- since it's wintertime and beets are available seasonally but zucchini is not. I also used only 3/4 cup of cocoa powder instead of a full cup because that was all I had on hand. It turns...

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Fueled by Fries

I know I promised cupcakes next, but I come bearing hot dogs instead. My friends have started up a food truck business called Snap that serves Chicago hot dogs and avocado fries and other tasty foodstuffs. They spent the last year selling at various food and craft markets in New York, and now they've launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the last bit of money they need to get their truck on the road. They bought a truck that they are converting...

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5 Years

Last Saturday, this blog turned five. Over those five years, this blog saw me through the period of personal transformation that was my mid twenties, during which I figured out a lot about myself and what kind of life I want to lead. When I created it in March 2007, I was twenty-two, less than one year out of college, and feeling not quite passionate about anything. I called my blog The Wounded Chef and intended it as a place to simply store recipes...

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