Aloha.

Before I landed in the City of Angels I was an East Coast transplant turned Maui Girl. I loved Maui. I loved my simple, easy life. I had my favorite beach, my favorite friends, a great job and my bike ride home from work smelled like pikake and gardenia flowers. I surfed, I paddled and I rode that little red beach cruiser everywhere and usually with Olivia, my chihuahua sidekick, in the straw basket. I never would have guessed that in a few years time I would trade my Locals in for Fryes and my bike for .... well.. road rage. And even though we are in the throes of Fall and staring down the barrel of yet another holiday season, Maui has been on my mind. Maybe it's that my dear friend, and former surf buddy, Courtney was just in town. Maybe it was the conversation I had with Pakala, my Hawaiian boss, about his upcoming trip to Molokai. Maybe it's the up coming trip to Salt's Cure with two more Maui visitors, Leah and Jay. Who knows.
Cut to a particularly uneventful evening this week in Los Angeles. I had time to day dream, my thoughts swimming from all things Thanksgiving to more tropical waters. A friend sensing my boredom offered me the only bit of entertainment available. Beer magazine. Not my go-to periodical but I gave it a whirl. Flipping past the ads for craft beers, I landed on a Do-it-Yourself tutorial for Beer Can Chicken. BCC has been on my mental "Must Try" list for way too long.

A-Frame is the reigning heavy weight in the BCC department but rarely do I ever find myself all the way in Culver City.

As I flipped through my guide I was skeptical that I could pull this off. Surely there was some complicated grilling contraption or Bobby Flay-worthy skill involved. I was tickled to learn that I needn't be a master of the barbeque to pull off BCC. I just needed an oven. Still not entirely convinced, I flipped the page. There it was, a recipe featuring my friend's beer company, Maui Brew Co. It was a sign. I would have to ditch the doubt and get cooking. Garrett Marrero is the man behind the brew and also singlehandedly responsible for interrupting a strictly wine and scotch period, bringing me back around to beer. He makes a beautiful I.P.A., the Big Swell, my favorite is the Bikini Blonde; a Hellas lager, but they're most famed effort is the Coconut Porter and this was the main ingredient in the BCC challenge.

I remember the day that I was introduced to Maui Brew Co.. Garrett was conducting a tasting to showcase his locally crafted selection.  He set up several cans. This was back before cans were again the fashion and he was armed with a laundry list of can-pros for us to consider. The most convincing reason is that they're more environmentally friendly than bottles and when you rely on the limited resources provided by a smattering of specks in a vast Pacific sea, you consider these things.

As we untangled the stigma from our thoughts, he began pouring.
Full of flavor, round and fresh, Garrett explained that rarely would you come across a MBC beer that was more than seven days old. I was hooked. I began stalking Maui Brew Co. deliveries at the local wine shop. I waited outside, my bike basket emptied in anticipation (sorry Olivia). I would try to rearrange my impatient face to a nonchalant expression before Garrett arrived with those gleaming cans.
These days Maui Brew Co. is much easier to come by. I can find it in several places in my current zip code, many miles and a few years away from my toe tapping stalker days. And so it was with sheer delight that I turned the page to find this recipe that included my favorite little/big brewing company.

Maui Brew Co. Coconut Porter Beer Can Chicken
with a Thai Curry Basting Sauce
(recipe adapted from Beer magazine)

(I Puff Daddyied, P Diddyied, Puffalufugased the original recipe to suit my tastes and my pantry. Feel free to do some "sampling" of your own. Try fresh basil and mint in your basting sauce.)

Ingredients:
1 4lb. Organic chicken (try Lindy and Grundy)
1 can Coconut Porter
1 stalk lemongrass cut into 3in pieces and lengthwise (put into can)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Sauce Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup scallions
1 3in. piece lemongrass
3 Tbsp sweet Thai chili
2 Tbsp red curry paste
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (more if you like it spicy)
2 tsp ground ginger
juice of 1/2 lime
zest of 1 1/2 limes

Preheat oven to 450*
Pour enough Porter into a glass to fit the lemongrass in the can without an overflow.
Remove gizzards from the chicken and rinse with cold water.  Pat the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Season the bird with a nice crust of S&P then in a roasting pan, fit the chicken around the can. It should sit up on it's own.

Next combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour 1/2 sauce in a separate bowl to use later.

Baste the chicken in the sauce and put it in the oven. Ten minutes baste again, repeat in ten more minutes.

Turn the oven down to 375* for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165*.
Tip- put the chicken on the lowest shelf, if the top looks like it's getting too dark too fast, you can always put a little tin foil hat on top to prevent burning.
When the chicken is finished carefully remove the can. This can be tricky but if you can push down on the top of the can through the opening in the bird while lifting up on the chicken it should slide out easily. Let it rest for ten minutes on a separate platter. Pour the chicken drippings into a sauce pan and add the remaining (untouched) sauce. Whisk over medium heat until smooth. Carve. Serve. Enjoy.

Beer Can Chicken with Jalapeno and Cilantro Cole Slaw.

The Devil in Miss Mae.

Deviled Quail Egg.

By now it's not a secret that I love eggs.  Just about any food item adorned with an egg will have my full ("Squirrel") attention.  A burger crowned with a fried egg, flatbread pizza a la The Oaks baked with an egg and mushrooms, salmon roe topped with a raw quail egg,  a whiskey sour frothy with egg whites, an egg cracked open over a hot spicy bowl of soon, a creamy yolk placed lovingly on a pile of pasta,  over medium or over easy, scrambled soft, scrambled hard, coddled,  poached, boiled and baked, I love my eggs.

Last month, F for Food and I brought Dinner at Eight back into our crook of the canyon. We muddled and shucked, stewed and fried and if nothing else filled our guests to the brim with all things Southern.
There were mint juleps and oyster stew, fried chicken legs and gravy, biscuits and roasted pork loin but the meal began with a tiny little egg. A deviled egg. A deviled quail egg to be exact. I made other contributions to our Southern feast but this was one I insisted on right out of the gate. Small, tangy and rich, the deviled quail egg would make the perfect amuse bouche for our meal.

There was however a hitch. I've never made deviled quail eggs before, I've never prepared quail eggs of any sort in fact. I don't even know where to procure a quail egg.  The quail quest began with the most logical choice, The Hollywood Farmer's Market.  Elliott and I left ourselves with a tight schedule, we had one week until our dinner deadline and one day to test recipes as a complete team, Elliott, Kathy and me. There was little room for error or the birthday party we were also due to attend that day so we had to act fast.  Racing to the HFM, we kept our fingers crossed that the secret parking space was available. It wasn't. Still in drive, I opened the door rolled out into the alley behind the market, did a set of summersaults worthy of Nadia Comaneci and over my shoulder yelled to my getaway driver..err.. I mean FForFood to circle the block. Okay, okay, I may have exagerrated that last bit a tad but the scene wasn't far off.  I ran/walked through the crowd ducking absently handled french rolls, dodging baby strollers and flower pots to get to the egg man. Breathless, I asked the gentleman for quail eggs. "No Ma'am".
Alright, maybe there's another vendor? I ran/walked up and down the length of the market (no easy feat in a sea of leisurely market goers),found four more egg related stands and the closest I got was a "We sold out earlier, sorry...".  I leapt back into Elliott's car and we peeled out leaving the other early risers in our dust. Okay, maybe not, but the failed mission did put a crimp in our limited time.  We made it to the aforementioned birthday party, and then it was back on the hunt.  I vaguely remembered that ages ago The Merchantile restaurant sold quail eggs but the bartender delivered the bad news gently when we inquired attempting to restrain our desperate expressions. We tried Whole Foods and Bristol Farms. Nope and Nope. We were running out of ideas and daylight. 

As my confidence began to dissolve Elliott had a lightbulb moment. The Original Farmer's Market! I'd been there for shrimp tacos and cactus salad at Loteria. I'd been to see the passadores at Pampas Grill but it manages to escape me that it is in fact a farmer's market. SCORE!

The elusive eggs nestled together.

Clutching the trays of delicate bespeckled eggs, and wearing a smile with renewed confidence, F for Food and I returned to the Dinner at Eight kitchen quarters and with Kathy, got to work. Flour was flying as each dish was tested. Heads were scratched, salt was added,  but the easiest job belonged to me.  The eggs boiled in no time and before I knew it I was trying my first deviled quail egg. After the ordeal I had trying to find them the rest was easy and delicious! The Deviled Quail Eggs were a hit at the party too and even better, I had enough eggs left over for a few sunny sides up for breakfast! Win.

Fried Quail Egg.

To make your own Deviled Quail Eggs:

You can work with the ingredient list I provide in Something Borrowed, Something New. Quail Eggs take considerably less time to boil.  Add 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water, until the eggs are completely submerged. Exactly two minutes from the time the water starts to boil they're done. To open the shells, pop the bottom of the shell (there will be a small air bubble there) pinch and pull apart. Quail eggs are much more delicate than regular eggs so peeling them will require patience and a delicate hand. For one package of 10 quail eggs you will need far less Duke's (1tsp), honey, apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard can be measured with the tip of a demitasse spoon, the Blackie's pepper relish (1/2 tsp), and much smaller pinches of salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Don't forget to taste as you go to allow for adjustments. Happy Tastebuds!

XOXO Maggie Mae

The Olivia Apron.

The Olivia Apron.

The yellow plaid neck bow pops with chocolate brown and white polka dot fabric.

The reverse side of the apron is as wearable as the front with the polka dot design.

Apron strings never looked so good.

The Olivia Apron is available in Half Hostess, Knee Length Hostess, Baby Aprons and Custom Orders.

Fried.

Run.  Walk.  Sunburn.  Work.  Laundry.  Repeat.
This has been my life for the last fourteen days.  Today is my first day off.  Leading up to this Sunday, I had my plan for the day all mapped out for maximum productivity; Eat, Pray, Sew.  And Run.  It was all set.  But, when I arrived at this beautiful fall day I realized- I was a little crispy around the edges.  So I scrapped my plan.

Instead I read, had coffee and chocolate chip cookie-scones at my favorite coffee spot, shopped for groceries and checked in with my Mom, my Dad, and my Grandma Eloise for a few overdue catch-ups.  Rather than beat myself up about not going for my daily run/therapy session I listened to my gut instead.  It was telling me two things.  Relax. Make fried chicken.

By now you know that I've had Southern cooking on the brain.  FForFood and I are rapidly approaching the relaunch of Dinner at Eight.  As I mentioned in Bringing it Home, we are drawing inspiration from our Virginia roots and introducing A Sunday Supper in the South, except here, in Los Angeles, in our nook of the Canyon.   Recipes are being tested.  Cabinets are being stocked.  And the vintage cookbooks, well, they're a pilin' up.
With FForFood away in Virginia reconnecting with her Aunt Babe, I am here, about to reconnect with the cast iron.  This marks my first attempt at fried chicken since The Fried Chicken Catastrophe of 2002.  I'm not worried though,  I have my partner's recipe as a guide,  a flannel sleeve full of tricks, and my trusty apron.
As for the fried chicken that we'll be serving at Dinner at Eight, there's no need to fear, the locally sourced, organic, Lindy & Grundy chicken, will be in the more than capable hands of Kathy Emerson.  Not yours truly....

A Sunday Supper in the South.  October 23rd. Seatings at 7pm and 9pm.
Click here to make a reservation.

The Cherry Pie Apron.

The Cherry Pie Sweetheart Bib Apron.

Finished with cream rick-rack, cream bows, red buttons and the inside of the pockets are lined.

The bows pop with a peek at the reverse side fabric.

This is the "back" of the apron. It's reversible!

       Also available in this fabric, Half Hostess Aprons, Knee Length Hostess and Baby Aprons.

Bringing it Home.

Pungent slabs of Virginia ham on flakey biscuits never far from reach.  Tomato Sandwiches on Pepperidge Farm bread.  Pulling onions right out of the garden and eating them raw.  Green bean casserole.  Macaroni and cheese, heavy with crust.  Endless hours spent swimming in the pool.  Warm towels fresh from the dryer.  Food Everywhere. All the time. A refrigerator so stuffed that it practically let out a sigh when coaxed to close.  Laurence's Grocery.  "One scoop or two?".  Peach soda pop.  A seemingly endless supply of libations.

Dewars was the preferred spirit of my grandparents.  In my grandparent's house this scene is set.  My Grandfather, Jim, was never one to shy away from a good time or a good joke.  He liked to drink, he liked to dance and he loved him some mischief.  His devilish grin rarely ever left his face and sorry was the slowpoke that didn't scatter when he passed by to clunk you on the noggin' with one of his thick fingers.  And as he was the rock of our family, my grandmother Eloise was the heart of the house and undisputedly, the kitchen.  She was the one responsible for those warm towels.  She hand fed us snacks when we swam up to the hot, sizzling concrete edge of the pool, eager for the slice of salted cantaloupe she was offering.  She always kept us full and even if we weren't hungry- a meatball sandwich would appear under of our sunburned noses anyway.  This is the slideshow of my youth in southwest Virginia.

Little did I know that a mere 45 minutes away FForFood was carving out similar childhood memories at her Aunt Babe's dining room table in Roanoke.  As I sat outside of the chicken house helping my grandmother shell almost-too-pretty-to-eat cream and purple speckled beans for dinner, FForFood was spooning heaping forkfulls of her Aunt Babe's shelly beans onto her plate.  As I was crunching my way through the griddled crust of my grandmother's rich potato pancakes, FForFood was lost in the near transcendental creaminess of Aunt Babe's mashed potatoes.  And Now here we are. Tucked into the Hills of Holly and we are about to bring it all home.
FForFood, Kathy Emerson and I will be strapping on our Maggie Mae Aprons and bringing back Dinner at Eight.

Each month we will travel back to "the South" and the furthest reaches of our memories and pay homage to the women that inspired us.  A Sunday Supper in the South by Dinner at Eight is a true family affair and we hope, where you find yourself a memorable dining experience.

To make a reservation, click here. Dinner at Eight.

Something Borrowed, Something New

Pop Art Sweetheart Bib Apron

(say that three times fast)

Lately I have been thinking about pairs.  What goes together.  How one part of a pair compliments or influences it's counterpart.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, wearing an apron while you cook marries a fun homemaking experience AND it makes your food taste better.  In the last year or so I have been in the kitchen a lot more, inspired by my friend and housemate FForFood.  In the last week I  have also been in the studio more, sewing and musing about good couples.  People with people, fabric with fabric, food with wine, peanut butter with chocolate...  And so, I created a pop art inspired bib apron with a sweetheart neckline and complimented it with black and white polka dot fabric inside the pockets and on the reverse side of the apron.  The Pop Art Sweetheart Bib Apron is 50's-esque and when I tied it on suddenly I was craving a deviled egg.  I sprung into action, I borrowed a recipe from FForFood and put a new spin on it, replacing the pickle relish with my favorite hot pepper relish from Blackie's Hot Dogs in Cheshire Connecticut.  I boiled, I peeled, I whipped and I filled, and I got my deviled egg.
The Pop Art Apron and the deviled eggs went well together. As for my friend and I, we make a pretty good pair too.

Over Stuffed Deviled Eggs with Blackie's Hot Pepper Relish  

Ingredients:

Maggie Mae Pop Art Sweetheart Bib Apron 


16 eggs (4 extra eggs for yolks only)
1/3 cup Dukes mayonnaise
1 tbs unfiltered apple cider vinegar
3 tbs Blackies hot pepper relish (minced until you create a paste consistency)
2 1/2 tbs dijon mustard
1 tsp sage honey
dash of cayenne pepper
Hungarian Paprika
pink himalayan salt
freshly ground pepper

you can always improvise if these ingredients aren't readily available in your cupboard

but I highly recommend the Dukes mayonnaise and Blackie's relish 

Place the eggs in a large pot and fill with water until all of the eggs are covered. Boil eggs for 10 minutes and then remove from heat.  Run the eggs under cold water immediately and then let them rest for 10 more minutes. 

Next in a separate bowl mix mayonnaise, relish, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and honey.

When the eggs are cool enough to touch fill the pot with more cold water and begin peeling. I generally have trouble in this area as the peeling part can be tricky. Peeling them while they are submerged in cool water helps.

Dry the peeled eggs and begin slice them in half length wise. Carefully remove the yolks and add them to the bowl with the other ingredients.  When you've extracted all of the yolks set aside 24 of the best looking egg whites (salt and pepper any remaining egg whites and pass them out to the onlookers that have collected in your kitchen, after all you are so adorable in your Maggie Mae Apron..). 

Grab a fork and mash together the yolks with the mayonnaise and relish mixture. Whip until smooth. Add salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne to taste. Sprinkle eggs with paprika and then fill each egg with a generous spoonful of  the yolk mixture. Add a touch more paprika to garnish!

Overstuffed Deviled Eggs 

It's A Walk-Off.

Today is a sewing day.  I've been waiting for it all week.  A whole day just for me to sit, cut, sew and create.  All week long I have been looking for creative inspiration and I have found it in some new places and some old friends.  Everyday this week I have been running.  And running.  And running.  Literally.  I always feel great when I exercise but this week I found that it lead me down the path of creativity.  Also, I needed to make sure that my legs are strong. Why?  Well,(I type with a flush in my cheeks), it's because my legs will be carrying me down a runway at the LACMA for the KCRW's A Slice of Pie event this Sunday the 18th.  Ok wait.. Runway?  What does a runway have to do with pie or aprons you're probably wondering?  Well the folks responsible for this event will be hosting an apron walk-off.  Yup, just like Zoolander.  And I, with my very best strut, will be there to showcase my aprons.
This Sunday, if you're looking for some good old fashioned fun, then join me and FForFood at the LACMA from 12:30-4pm for pie, pie and more pie and of course Maggie Mae Apron Co.'s first runway show and If you can't make it to the LACMA this weekend then STAY TUNED.....
xoxo Maggie

Wearing an Apron While You Cook Makes Food Taste Better...

Senorita Half Hostess Apron

I don't know if you've heard but when you wear a Maggie Mae Apron while you cook for your loved ones, it actually makes your food taste better! Ok, that may be a matter of opinion but I'm sticking to it. This morning when I woke up I tied on an apron and began making brunch for my three little loves Olivia, Beso, and Eduardo (FForFood and my chihuahua children) and then for myself and Elliott(FForFood). Inspired by the apron I was wearing I put together Spicy Breakfast Burritos with Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo and Sauteed Jalapenos. They were so delicious that I thought I should share my recipe with you. I am lactose intolerant so anywhere you'd like to add real butter, milk or cheese, I strongly encourage you. Happy Homemaking!
xoxo Maggie

Spicy Breakfast Burritos with Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo and Sauteed Jalapenos


Ingredients:

Maggie Mae Senorita Apron


Egg Scramble 
5 eggs
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup shredded Goat's Milk cheddar or Daiya tapioca "cheddar"
3 tbsp Almond Milk
2 tbsp bacon fat
2 of your favorite tortillas
salt, fresh ground pepper , cayenne pepper

Pico de Gallo 
1 cup quartered heirloom cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup (or 1/2 cup if you're like me) roughly chopped cilantro
1 clove very finely minced garlic
1/2 of a finely diced fresh jalapeno pepper
salt

Sauteed Jalapenos 
2 fresh jalapenos sliced in rounds
2 cloves of garlic sliced or rough chop
2 tbsp olive oil
salt,  fresh ground pepper

To get started crack your eggs into a big mixing bowl.  Sprinkle a light layer of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper over eggs like a little seasoning blanket.  Set aside.

Add the jalapenos to a hot saute pan on high coated with olive oil and sprinkle them with a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Reduce heat to a little below medium. Let them sweat and get a little soft. About 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and turn heat down to warm.

Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients in a separate bowl. Give it a light stir, season to taste and set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium high heat give the black beans a quick saute in a little bacon fat and small sprinkle of salt until they are heated through. Remove and set aside. Put the rest of the bacon fat in the saute pan. Add the almond milk and 1/8 cup of cheddar to the eggs and whip until frothy or you get a shoulder cramp...  Pour eggs into the pan and add the black beans. Stir and Scramble to your liking. I turn the heat off when they still look a little runny because they'll cook up a bit more while you assemble your burritos.
If you have a gas stove turn the flame to high and put your tortilla over the flame on the grate quickly turning so they don't burn. If you're smart you'll use tongs. If you're me, you'll have toasted finger tips.. This is a great tortilla trick I learned from my friend Leah (Maggie Mae Apron owner). If you don't have gas try putting the tortillas in a hot dry saute pan until they start to breathe.

Now you're ready to assemble. Layer the eggs, pico de gallo, jalapenos and sprinkle more cheddar on top. (If you have a favorite salsa you can always add a little if you want!) Be sure to leave room on the bottom of the tortilla so that you can fold it up and then roll the sides together. Eat, Love and let your Sous Chef do the dishes!

It's September, Back to School and Back to the Studio.

                                                  

Maggie Mae Half Hostess Apron

  Well it's September and it's back to the sewing studio I go with new orders and new ways to showcase my pieces.   Baby Blues Philadelphia has placed another(!) large order of flirty little Half Hostess Aprons for their server gals to wear while they're hard at work! Half Hostess Aprons are also very cute for my happy homemakers that want to add a bit of sass to their kitchens. You don't even need to bake, tie on your Maggie Mae Apron, order a sweet something from Gabrielle Salinger of I Baked It Myself and throw a little flour on your cheek! Prepare to be adored!

A peek at what I do!

 

Each Apron is finished with great care in the details so that if you want to wear the backside you can!

You can add a personal touch, include a special message, a date, your name or a nickname.

A Salty Cure for A Crush.

I'm head over heels! I'm in love! I have to confess that I have been carrying on a love affair for years. Who is my enamorada, the object of my affection? Well Dear Reader, my heart, it belongs to food.  It's the longest relationship that I've ever had and it began when I was perfecting the art of a drip free ice cream cone. Ok, so why tell us now, you're probably asking yourself? The reason I'm breaking my silence is that I fear that my relationship is in trouble.

I've been eating for a long time. But not just eating.. I'm not the steamed white meat sort. I grew up in restaurants. Literally. My family had one. I passed hor d'oeuvres at parties and I mixed my first drink (for an adult of legal age) when I was twelve. My family valued a good meal and a good time. From my Dad I learned the skill of finding the perfect diner. My Mom provided a healthy balance to offset the decadence I was inclined to gravitate towards and taught me to create the perfect salad. And my grandparents..... Well, my grandparents, they created a monster. They took my brothers and me to fine dining restaurants all over the Southern Seaboard. As a result I am chaser. I am a craver. I will go out of my way for the perfect bite.  I will risk tummy ache and tears for a good Mac and Cheese (after of course, I've turned a perfectly good box of unsuspecting Lactaids into a shredded pile of it's former self). So, what's the problem? I'm beginning to fear that the trill is in jeopardy of being gone.

There have always been the rumors. Rumors of a difficult chef or rude waitstaff in the culinary haven you've unwaveringly sought, even though it takes a month and a last name much heavier than your own to drop, in order to claw your way in the door.  But there's been a change in the whispers. There's something more cynical on the tips of tongues and fingers that graze keyboards all around the city that I've been trying to ignore until this week. It reached a breaking point when my roommate was having difficulty trying to decide what she wanted to order in a new favorite restaurant of ours that is good at everything they do. This restaurant is amazing but sometimes having so many great choices can render an enthusiast paralyzed when trying to find just one or three (if you're me) ways to meander down their menu. But, a flush took hold of her cheeks when in place of a confident reccomendation she was told, "I have a girlfriend.".
ERRReeRRRR!!, said the needle to the record. Say WHAT?! Mostly she was just wondering, chicken salad or ham and cheese but instead was reduced to a .... a.. ... a groupie. A Food Groupie. A less then charming nickname I was introduced to recently by a gentleman I have shared a few meals with as of late. Apparently, there is a new breed of groupie in town and this one isn't camping outside The Roxy. The Food Groupie follows chefs, bartenders, bloggers and all things food. But what, I ask you, is the point of all of this deliciousness popping up in every corner of L.A. if not to fall completely and totally, head over heels IN LOVE with what turns up on the end of your fork?  Isn't it the point to keep showing up for more?  And in an age of Twitter and Facebook, Blogging and Yelp, isn't following along exactly what we're supposed to do? What is it about dining culture right now that is making us all so full- of ourselves?

For a while now I have read thinly veiled jabs on Twitter, nicknames like "blogger stalker" and "food groupie", there are reviews on Yelp that have little to do with food or service and everything to do with a platform for being cruel and hurtful.   It is making me want to run for cover from the storm of egos and the crashing bolts of catty comments.  It is beginning to quell my desire to take my place at the new tables sprouting up all around the city.
What if I want to go back for seconds or thirds?
Should I wait a few days in between so I don't look desperate?
Do I let on that I've read the blog of a girl whose perspective I find  fascinating or will she just think I'm weird and tweet that I'm a stalker?
Why am I so worried anyway?
Food is supposed to be fun isn't it?  Isn't it the trill of waking up extra early on a sunny Sunday morning to stroll through the farmers market to find the perfect mushroom that you'll turn into a LACMA worthy work of art in your kitchen at sundown?  Isn't it the excitement you feel when you look at an otherwise plain chalkboard that displays a few seemingly simple choices although you know that the offering laid out in front of you will be so beautiful and thoughtfully prepared that you won't want to disturb it, only take pictures to show your fellow food lovers later?  Except instead, it's turning into competitions and feuds fueled by tweet-tacking, blog-battling and the overweening ego of an accessible chef.  Aren't we all in this for the same reason?  Aren't we all here, showing up again and again table-side, truck-side, saddling up to the counter, waiting 25 minutes for the short seat at the end of the bar because we love food just that much?  What is the point of days, nights and holidays spent laboring in the kitchen if it's not to make people fall in love with your food?  And I am.  I am in love.  I'm in love with your food.  I am in love with the way you write about it and I am in love with the pictures that put the my meal in danger of getting cold because guess what? I want to remember this moment just the way it was. When I fell in love.

Hello World! I'm your Apron Girl!

 Hi Everyone,
   Maggie here from Maggie Mae Apron Co. I want to share with you a bit about what I do.

Maggie Mae Apron Co. is a little studio tucked away in the Hollywood Hills;  here I handcraft beautifully detailed aprons for the home chef, professional chef, waitress, bartender, moms & daughters, fathers & sons or the whole family. I make His & Hers apron sets, Hers & Hers, His and His, aprons for babies, the occasional puppy and, of course, the sassy girl that commands attention in the kitchen even if her baking skills are limited to unwrapping the prepackaged roll of cookie dough (or bottle of wine...).  Maggie Mae aprons have been seen the in the kitchens of celebrity chefs, are the uniform for trendy restaurants like Baby Blues BBQ in Philadelphia and food trucks like The Hungry Nomad. Maggie Mae Aprons have done a little traveling as well--they live in England, Ireland, Lebanon and stateside cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New York and on the islands of Hawai'i.

These are not your average aprons; they are fun, flirty, one-of-a-kind and finely detailed.
Maggie Mae Aprons are handmade with colorful and beautiful fabrics, turn your apron over to see that the back is just as wearable as the front, peek inside of the pockets and you'll discover they are finished with the same attention to detail.  Apron styles vary by shape, length and style.  They can be personalized with your name, business name, wedding dates or anniversaries, or even a personal message.  Custom orders are welcome.   I offer delivery, gift wrapping and shipping services.  So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for your bridesmaids, a baby shower, swag bag, Mom, girlfriend, sister, or for yourself or your business,  email me and we can create the perfect apron(s) for you!

 XOXO Maggie