It's not that I can't cook- it's that I'm not passionate about cooking. I really wish I was. But I'm not. And believe me I've tried to be. Unfortunately, when it comes down to eating a Lean Cuisine or using ingredients and a stove... well, the microwave wins. I like my cooking to be quick, fast and painless. Don't get me wrong, I love a good home cooked meal (prepared by someone else) or an expensive gourmet dinner on the town. I guess that just means I'm passionate about having other people cook for me.

But when it comes to cooking, for Melissa McDougall, she's.... well... "passionate" is an understatement. That's probably one good reason we get along so well. She loves to cook, and I love to eat Other People's Cooking (You down with OPC? Yeah you know me!). Not only is Melissa an amazing cook, she's an avid writer and emerging photographer to boot. And so, it was only an amount of time before Melissa started a blog focused on cooking called, The Belle Tower. 

As much as I enjoy OPC, it's not just a one sided affair, I think I'm pretty good company in the kitchen. You know the old saying about having too many cooks in the kitchen? Since I'm not a cook, people always seem to like having me around in the kitchen. I have no opinion on the best way to sauté garlic, or chop a tomato, heck, I can even spell sauté (the spell check corrected it for me). I love to help, but I'm content to stay out of the way too. So when Melissa asked me to help with her "Italian Flag Pasta" dish, I happily obliged. 

She's used to doing the photography and cooking simultaneously, but since we did it on our lunch break, and time was of the essence, she trusted me with her fancy camera (supervised of course). 

One of my favorite parts about her blog is the step-by-step photos. Growing up my mom wouldn't buy a cookbook unless it had pictures. She'd say, "Who cares if everyone swears by The Joy of Cooking? It doesn't have photos, so it's worthless." And not only does Melissa include pictures, but an option to print an abbreviated version of instructions with all the ingredients listed at the top. Plus her amazing writing style has me reading recipes for fun. Do yourself a flavor, and check out The Belle Tower blog.

After watching Handmade Nation Sunday night,  I realized that unbeknownst to me, I'm part of a handmade revolution (for some reason I'm imaging Che Guevara with a knitted beanie on). 

The documentary is a series of interviews with various artists from the indie craft scene. In 65 minutes, we follow these crafters to shows, tour their humble studios (mostly spare bedrooms), and learn why this movement has been so successful.... because consumers are craving familiarity and uniqueness. People want to know where their stuff is coming from. It's not too unlike the recent "farm to table" effort within the food industry. 

The gap between consumer and product is widening. Outsourcing, technology, and synthetic materials have disintegrated our ability to provide for ourselves. We've become a dependent nation, and that dependence has recently slapped us across the face. We need to produce, make, create, invent, do. Let's continue supporting local ventures, empowering our communities and slow down a little. 

Viva la (craft) Revolucion!

Wanna make out? Umm, not like that... Join Charlotte's local craft collective, Crown Town Handmade, for their first ever Make Out session. The class will be held in Plaza Midwood, at Century Vintage, this Thursday (April 29th), at 7:30PM. There will be no tongue involved, but you will get felt up! You heard right, Donna Kirby of In Ten Years will be instructing this FREE class on how to make felt flowers (supplies will be provided). Everyone is welcome, so bring your friends!

Click here for full details.

In honor of my road trip to Lou-a-vul, Kentucky, I decided to scour Flickr 
for some photos of Hunter S. Thompson's ol' stomping grounds.

Did you know that Louisville produces one-third of all 
bourbon whiskey in the United States?!

What brings me to Louisville? It's not the Derby, nor KFC headquarters, 
it's the Palace Theater (for a Phoenix concert).


(More photos after the jump)