FAQ
A. Well I can tell you that nothing ever goes to waste! I give lots to my friends and family, (much to my husband the personal trainer’s dismay.) I also will often bake up a small batch of a treat if I don’t have any ideas of where to take them. (I always bake on days I’m going to parties/book club/ etc. It’s a great way to pass things along!)
Q. Do you gain lots of weight from eating all those treats?
Maybe a little here and there? But- I am getting good at having a few bites of whatever I make and then giving them to my friends and family. The funny part is that though I obviously love baked treats, I’ve grown to grave salty foods a lot more. I love the process of baking but don’t have to eat a lot of it to enjoy myself :)
Q. This recipe didn’t turn out- what happened?
A. I’m so sorry that the recipe didn’t turn out perfectly. I wish I could help more with these situations, but it’s hard to know exactly what went wrong. I will do the best I can to give you advice along the way though. Best tips I can offer: Get an oven thermometer. So often- our ovens are several degrees off and that make a huge difference. My Mom recently found that her oven is 40 degrees under!
Q. Do you take your own pictures?
A. Yep! All the photos on this site were taken by me! (except for a couple in the very beginning of my blog that were taken by my sister Nadia.)
Q. Do you have any photography tips?
A. Practice makes Perfect? Lame I know, but if you check out my early blog posts you’ll see what I mean. It has taken me time to figure out how to use my camera and utilize the lighting in my apartment. The main bit of advice I have is to use natural light. Not harsh, direct sunlight, but soft light diffused through a sheet or curtain. I take my pics in my kitchen near a window that pours lots of light in. I have a thin white curtain on it that helps a lot!
Another useful tip is to create an appealing background so your food can really shine. Anything simple and clean looks good. I often shoot my treats on a pretty cloth or napkin.
Q. What kind of camera do you use?
A. I was fortunate to begin my blogging process while having access to an amazing camera. My sister Nadia lives next door and happens to be a professional photographer. She took a few of my very early photos when I first started the blog. As of April 2011- I bought my own camera, a Canon Rebel XTI and I love it! I now take the pictures myself using at 55mm 1.14 lens. I use natural light and shoot right in my kitchen. As of November 2011- I was given access to a Canon Speedlite flash that though I’m still getting used to, seems to be giving me lots of freedom as the daylight hours go away.
*The picture of me in my apron on the right was taken by my friend, a wonderful phtographer Nathan Johnson. www.nathanjohnsonphotography.com
Q. Can I use your pictures/recipes on my blog?
A. I put a lot of work into my photos and I’d appreciate it if you don’t use them without my permission. Please email me at [email protected] if you have any inquiries. As for recipes though- feel free to use/adapt them as long as you give me credit and a link. Thanks!
Q. Where do you get your cupcake liners/baking supplies?
A. I recently discovered the coolest store in NYC called New York Cake and Baking Company.
They pretty much have EVERYTHING I could ever need including cupcake liners, cookies cutters, pans etc. I have to limit my visits to that store though, because there are always so many things I want!!
Q. Do you come up with your own recipes?
I am a big fan of adapting recipes. I am still mastering the ability to know the correct proportions of things. Sometimes I take a few recipes that I find and put them together to become something unique. I always try to give credit where it’s due. :)
Q. How small is your kitchen really? Is it hard to bake in it?
A. Ha. Yes- it is very small. I have a little bit of counter space, and I make a point of putting things back right when I am done with them. I have lived in NYC 6 years so I’m pretty accustomed to not having a lot of space.
Other questions?
Email me at [email protected]