1. Dim sum at Ton Kiang {#62}
2. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung {#3}
3. Tonkotsu ramen at Izakaya Sozai {#21}
4. Foccacia at Liguria Bakery {#68}
5. Breakfast eggs at Boulettes Larder {#82}
6. Calamari with chorizo and black rice at Contigo {#70}

Wyatt had it so right because the dry-fried chicken wings from San Tung were my favorite this month too! Kevin and I actually tried to eat in the restaurant a couple times, but there was always a gigantic mob out front waiting to get in so we finally opted to pick up the wings to go. I’m still dying to go back because I spotted a ton of amazing food on the tables as I ran in for the pick up. But seriously, I would also maybe settle on like five orders of these wings because they are that good. The outside of the wings are fried to the utmost in crispiness, but there is no heavy breading…it’s just the delectable skin all crisped up, and then tossed in a sweet, syrupy glaze. It almost tastes like a candy coated shell. Amazing!!

Oh, and another caveat is owed this month for the calamari at Contigo in #6 above…it was actually served with canellini beans, instead of black rice.  I know, I know…not exactly the same…but, it was a similar enough preparation so I’m on to the next!

Wow, what a night for SF!! The whole city was out last night to witness the city’s pride, the San Francisco Giants, win the 2012 World Series!! We watched with friends at Momo’s, a sports bar right across the street from the ballpark. Holy OMG…as if things weren’t crazy enough during the game, the throngs started pouring into the street immediately after. We ended up staying out very late, and there were still people milling in the streets till the wee hours. Thankfully, by that time, they had stopped climbing onto semi’s, blocking intersections, and lighting fireworks. Needless to say, people are just a little bit excited around here!

Way to go boys! So proud, and can’t wait for the victory parade on Wednesday. Sadly, I missed the parade in 2010 due to a very unfortunate conference call, but I won’t let that happen this year!!

One year ago today, while spending a typical quiet night at home, I decided to do something impulsive. I decided to start this blog. In just a few short hours, I had set up a blogger account, purchased and uploaded my design template from etsy, wrote up my first post, and took the ultimate risk of hitting the publish button. And that was only the beginning.

The initial posts were exhilarating to create, as were the ensuing supportive comments from friends and family. But I quickly realized, if I really wanted a shot at hacking it in the universe of cleverly written, perfectly styled, beautifully photographed food blogs, I had a lot of learning to do…

And that’s when the Amazon Fairy started sending books like these to our house…

And the critical camera upgrade occurred so that I could do totally normal stuff like take 89 pictures of guacamole-making in action…seriously, 89 pictures. The simple fact is, you can be the best cook in the world, but if you can’t translate that into gorgeous pictures, it’s next to impossible to compete in today’s blogging world. So for me, that means…lots…of…practice…

The year has brought along some of the best adventures…like getting to attend FoodBuzz Blogger Festival this year and last, as well the show-stopping Martha appearance at Alt Summit NYC over the summer.

And there have been some fun surprises too…like the fact that my blog has been read in 10 different countries, including Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and China (say, what?!). But there is one universal truth and that is that bacon is beloved everywhere because this recipe has maintained its status as the all-time top viewed page since the day it was posted.

Of course, the biggest reward of all is the way this blog has enabled me to connect with so many different people in so many unexpected ways. The love of food is an incredibly powerful force, and I would have never realized the magnitude it holds without having embarked on this journey.

My humble little blog is still a growing, ever-changing thing, and by no means have I reached “hacking it” status among the big boys. But I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished over the past year, and I’m so excited to see what else the future may hold for this little indulgence of mine.