"Cooking

is an art

and all art

is patience."

A few weeks ago, I saw this oh-so-charming poster in a Chicago restaurant. For some time now I've been reading food blogs with a mixture of admiration and wistful yearning, so that poster has stayed with me...

I love the idea of cooking/baking as an art, but the truth is I'm rather unschooled in that art. Don't get me wrong, I can whip up an edible meal, and I love nothing more than getting out my decorating tips to make cookies and cakes as lovely as they are yummy. But I've always been intimidated by foodies' blogs-- everything down to the smallest crumb perfectly crafted and artfully photographed (the equivalent of food porn).

It finally occurred to me that I would never be the kind of cook and baker I admire unless I actually push up my sleeves, tie on an apron (charmingly feminine, of course), and apprentice myself to the art of la cuisine. Will eggs be broken? Will flour be spilled? Will culinary mistakes be made? Bien sur! Let's just hope they'll be edible!

I've long admired Betty's little masterpieces at Eat My Cupcake, and then I saw that she's organizing a cupcake bake-along using Martha Stewart's new cupcake cookbook-- delish! Sign me up! I mean, really, how badly can I mess up les petits gateaux?