UnRecipe: The Secret of Food Blogging and the Comfort Food Gnome in Your Brain

Friends have often asked, what does it take to have a successful food blog? Is there some secret SEO-sorcery? A mystery, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a taco, to unlock like some mysterious DaVinci Code? Perhaps it's just about knowing all the right people and being at the right place at the right time? My answer: I have no idea, but post some photos of some cheesy, gooey pasta and it's a hit parade. It's not that simple, of course, but the almighty glutinous noodle is as popular as it is ubiquitous, and it never fails to get appetites whetted, no matter how many plates of noodles we see. Today's post proves the Power of Pasta -- even with random ingredients and a pantry full of nothing special, baked pasta with spicy Italian sausage, smothered with cheese is always a winner.


Baked pasta and my Big Fat Italian Belly after eating it - Photo by Wasabi Prime

OMG a Recipe: Who's Joe Mama?

A friend told me this story about how he was sitting in on the first day of a college class and the professor jokingly introduced himself by writing his name on the board as "Joe Mama." And then some girl asked in a dead-serious/dead-stupid tone, "Who's Joe Mah-mah?" And with that note of ridiculousness, I dedicate this special Mother's Day post to My Mama and all the Joe Mamas (or Mah-mah's) out there.

This ain't Joe Mama's stuffed cabbage - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Sharing is Caring, But Keep the Best for Yourself

The most important announcement to make: Wish the Mister a Happy Birthday today! He's @BrockDiesel on Twitter and if you know him personally, you probably already Facebook-bombed his page with salutations. Having our birthdays so close together (mine was last week), we have our shared celebrations and it's probably the one notable food/drink extravaganza that slips by, completely under the blog-radar. Which is by design, because by golly, we're too busy enjoying ourselves. And that got me thinking that it's the way it should be -- the everyday stuff is great to share, but sometimes the most memorable experiences with food are the ones where we're not looking at it through a lens, you're just sitting at the table, being present. What a concept!

FoodTrek: Spring Fever and Yes, More Cowbell

"I got a fever... and the only prescription is... More Cowbell," so sayeth Christopher Walken's insane, Phil Spector-style record producer character on that high-larious Blue Oyster Cult Saturday Night Live skit from a few  years ago. If you have no idea what the hell I'm talking about and have a strong hankering to see Will Ferrell's hairy gut shake its money-maker, you should get to know your Internets better and see a quick-edit mashup on the YouTube. I definitely got a case of Spring Fever when I indulged in some springtime shenanigans: attending Woodinville RESERVE and savoring a day of sun at Pike Place Market. Start that cowbell, we're ready to rawk.

Ramping it up with spring in the Northwest - Photo by Wasabi Prime