A shamefully long time ago now, we were invited to a food blogger happy hour at Parkside. It's shameful in one respect because I had every intention of reviewing it and it's now more than two months later. It's downright unforgivable in another respect – the food was inventive and generally very well executed – I really should have told you all about it sooner.

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I have lived in Austin for over ten years now. It's been a pleasure to watch as the local food culture has developed, and this city and its surrounding environs are, in my mind, one of the finest culinary destinations in the states. Sometimes though, I have a hankering for simple, good Texas-meets-Mexico fare. Add beer, add napkins, subtract esoterica, subtract frills. This week's experiment: Red Chile Enchiladas with Slow-simmered Pinto Beans.

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Every time I turn around, it seems I'm hearing about some fancy new trailer eatery that simply must be experienced. And darn it to heck if they aren't all down in the city – not where a traffic-phobic, parking-inept, awful suburbanites like me would typically journey for lunch. In fact, until this past Saturday, the only trailer eatery I had tried was Flip Happy Crepes. What happened Saturday, you might be asking? (When is she going to get to the point, you might also be asking?) Jodi of Tasty Touring fame hosted the South Austin Food Trailer Tour.

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This may come as a shock to you all, but at least here in Texas, it's officially too hot to cook. I know I'm whining, and I'll do my best to minimize it, but my interest n spending time in the kitchen has been pretty nonexistent for several weeks now. Last week, Chorizo and Sweet Potato Tacos came to my rescue. They come together quickly, and with minimal kitchen heating, and if you do it right, you'll have plenty of delicious leftovers that require little more than microwaving.

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It was very early when we arrived - between 4 and 4:30 on the morning of May 2nd. The poorly lit parking lot was difficult to navigate, and smoke and sleep deprivation hung heavy in the air. We had just arrived at the early stages of the 5th annual Texas Culinary Academy barbecue cook-off.

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I am notorious for trying out a new recipe, loving it, and then moving on to the next new recipe, never preparing the first one again. It drives Sean crazy. I'm constantly asking him what he wants for dinner, but because he rarely eats the same thing twice (I know, poor guy), he doesn't have time to develop favorites. Well, I've encountered a dessert recipe that I just can't quit baking – Strawberries and Cream cake.

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“Upscale comfort food” seems to be a popular theme these days, and it often seems to come out more upscale than comfort. Last night though, I had the great pleasure of experiencing one of the best implementations I've seen thus far. Hailing from Houston, Max's Wine Dive is officially opening their new Austin location on May 12th.

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Since my departure from engineering almost a year ago, I've thought through several alternate career paths. For a split second, I even considered the notion of being a professional food critic. The odds of this ever being a realistic career path for me are slim to none, particularly given that I'm too much a fan of food to enjoy writing about something I didn't like. For a highly entertaining vicarious look into the life of a food critic, though, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl cannot be beaten.

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We walked into the dark foyer of III Forks (three forks) from our sunny Austin afternoon stroll, and were temporarily blind as we waited for our pupils to adjust to the dim new surroundings. Even after a few minutes, we were still having some trouble, but gingerly made our way over to the happy hour festivities. Details unfolded as our eyes caught up with the dark room. Light paint and dark wood adorned the walls. Antler chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A big piano anchored one wall of the bar area. And a table full of appetizers and wine held center stage.

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Can you think of a more intense situation? Preparing a potluck dish for a bunch of food bloggers, writers, and photographers? I was questioning the wisdom of even having suggested it. But eventually, I worked out in my head that this was the crowd on which to try out something that my regular crew may not really go for, something I may not be willing to make otherwise. And then, after a friend suggested I make pate, I remembered a recipe for Country Pate that I had been saving for the right opportunity.

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