Me and my hero

Ok no food post this week, I was away from the kitchen but my plan is to do a few non-bento posts while I am away. This first one is my media event book signing with Alton Brown. Mr. Brown is a huge part of how and why I cook. Cooking was in my genes growing up in a restaurant, but Alton was my reason for looking into the curiosity of cooking. Why? how? when? where? these were the fundamental questions of looking into various ethnic cuisines and my earlier food experimentation, heck even dissecting my father's cooking. Alton brought out this thirst for knowledge which really makes up a part of why and how I cook today (even a good part of this blog). My high point was that I was able to utter the phrase I didn't manage 7 years ago, "Um just wanted to say, Alton Brown you are my hero!" He looked stunned and gracious, and although he probably hears it everyday he seemed to have taken it with genuine gratitude.












I've been to a few of his book signings here's a picture of his first signing from yesteryear and today, a "then and now" if you will (yes great, now you know what I look like, hopefully you still come back). Alton was kind enough to say "I looked familiar" when I mentioned this wasn't the first of his books he's signed for me. Whether that was a kind nod to an exuberant fan or I was that remember-able, I thank his kind words. As always, he was a witty host and just someone that looks like a ton of fun to hang out with, maybe one day I'll get to hang out and learn from him more. He's the inner food nerd/geek in all of us and I'm super excited to read thru his current book as it has the same kind of flavor and accessibility as his shows.















A special shout out, I met Hester from Austin Empty Bowl Project. It's a wonderful charity that puts on an event to sell locally created pottery bowls of soup (from local chefs) to benefit the local food bank I'm a big fan of the project and I'm very happy that Alton Brown signed a bowl for them as it's a great cause and I'm hoping to get a chance to participate this year.



Finally a picture with all of us foodbloggers that managed to participate in the event. (thanks Jenny of @MisoHungry for the suggested group photo.) Again, I didn't really realize until I reviewed this photo how few male food bloggers there were (bah, another picture of me, how hard is to stay anonymous?, but I'm lucky to be in such good looking company). And thank you to Sean of @hungryengineer for taking my photo that you see in the "after" of the before and after. His camera-fu is much greater than my own.

More posts to come, hang in there I have a neat bento coming up.