Do you think it’s dumb that I didn’t know that macarons existed until a couple weeks ago? Not macaroon, macaron!
A macaron is a French almond-based meringue sandwich filled with flavored ganache. The macaroon we typically see in the U.S. are made with coconut and is heavy and dense.

La Boite, the awesome new coffee shop housed in a refurbished shipping container on South Lamar began serving macarons the week before the Tasty Up trailer tour.
That day we reveled, oohed and aahed in the salted caramel and chocolate with strawberry cream flavors.
I …

I was thrilled to receive an invite to Christian and Jamie of Austin Food Journal’s house for one of their now-legendary pizza parties. My friend Carla from Austin Urban Gardens reintroduced us at a food blogger event and apparently pressured them into it. We are forever grateful.
Christian is a masterful pizza cook and showed Adam and I how to roll out and toss the dough properly. If you want to try his recipe to see if you can get his amazing results, he has posted it here.
Christian was making the …

Yesterday was the most awesome tour to date. If you missed out on the first-ever Tasty Up Trailer Tour, co-organized by Addie Broyles and me, you’re about to be jealous.
Since it was a choose-your-own adventure tour, each of the 500 or so attendees had their own unique experience. Below are some highlights from mine taken with my brand new Canon s90 point-and-shoot camera.
Addie met me at around 11:30 a.m. at La Boite before she set off to Trailer Perk. The tour officially began at noon and those two spots were …

Addie Broyles is a friend, Statesman food writer, co-founder of a food lovers book club, and co-organizer of the Tasty Up tour (taking place tomorrow afternoon throughout Central and South Austin).
She asked me if I would send her photos for inclusion in her weekly series, “What’s in Your Fridge Friday” and I decided to send pics after a long weekend trip when it was especially empty and immediately following my weekly grocery shop when it’s at its best.

Tasty Touring blogger Jodi Bart: What’s in Your Fridge Friday?
By Addie Broyles | …

The other night I was trying to decide what to whip up for dinner. We had tons of greens on hand — including bok choy — and I decided to make some Thai food.
The other ingredients I rounded up included Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, chicken stock, vegetable oil, fish stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, diced ginger and garlic, tofu, red pepper, mushrooms, onions, peanut butter, and crushed nuts.

I quickly boiled rice noodles for a little more than five minutes and served it with the stir fry.

I’m generally a bit …

When I asked Statesman restaurant critic Mike Sutter what new spot I should check out, he recommended Chen’s Noodle House. I trust Mike’s taste and had heard the buzz about Chen’s and at the last minute, rounded up my boyfriend and friends Marc and Megan to join us for a quick bite.

Marc and Megan have both lived in Asia – Megan as a child and Marc very recently in Taiwan and Beijing. It was hilarious to watch this white guy with blonde hair ordering food in rapid Mandarin.
The menu here …

Tarka Indian Kitchen felt like a fast casual chain which surprised me when I checked it out because there is only one location. It’s owned by the Clay Pit people and is a fast-casual version of that restaurant with cozy chairs and an appealing atmosphere but without the special dining experience feel.
After enjoying a fantastic tasting meal in a comfortable and relaxed environment, I found myself not minding the idea at all of finding a Tarka in mini-malls across the land.
My friend Addie and I wanted to try everything on …