Sometimes, I just don’t know what to make of myself…. I am always one thing and then the other. I was far too shy to put a picture of myself on the ‘About’ page of Besotted, opting for a picture of soon-to-be delicious cupcakes instead, but here I am, posting a video of myself cooking Grilled Poundcake with Cherry Sauce.

In fairness, the video was produced for a Bobby Flay cooking contest that I entered (and, sadly, did not win), which explains the flagrant promotion of Columbia Crest Wines, the contest’s sponsor, in the video.

When PT suggested Vienna and Budapest for our latest vacation, I couldn’t sign up fast enough. Vienna has been on my list of places to go since I was eight years old and caught glimpses of the beautiful and tragic Amadeus on TV. Since that moment, Vienna has embodied for me everything that a city should be – sumptuous, brooding, refined, and cultured. My fantasy was augmented by its reputation for world-renowned music and opera, their elevation of the hot dog and sausage to high cuisine, and, of course, the coffee.

Some people spend Sunday mornings reading the paper (or news online), some go to brunch, some stay in bed, cuddling with their significant others. What do I do? Search for new recipes and dream up ways to use the new basil & herbed dressing I made the day before.

Sounds a bit obsessive, no? Well, it would if you’re accustomed to store-bought dressings with their gag-worthy sodium levels. Thankfully, this dressing was of a different variety and so wonderfully delicious that it trumped even my new farm share lettuces and freshly baked croutons.

It was from this month’s issue of Gourmet, and it was spectacular – light and ethereal, with just the right amount of zing (from lemon and anchovies) and sweetness from basil.

Can all the Bostonians/New Englanders/Northeast Corridorites agree that the rain is getting just a tad old… I’ve only been back for 3 days and it’s already wearing on me, so I can’t imagine what it’s doing to those of you that have been enduring this for a week now.

Which is why, I thought that a little summery, sunshiney pasta dish would be just the thing to make us all feel, if not believe, that the warm weather really is right around the corner.

I know I say this about a lot of things, but Aglio e Olio really is my to-die-for dish. It easily makes the list of top 5 foods I would take with me to a desert island, not to mention the fact that it holds a bit of sentimental nostalgia for me.

I signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share this year with my friend, BCG, and let me tell you, I am absolutely in love.

We are only into our second week, but already the abundance and variety of herbs, vegetables, and fruits has me seeking out and trying recipes that surely would have sadly and indefinitely remained on my ‘to-do’ list if it weren’t for the half bushel of raw ingredients sitting in my fridge.

For those unacquainted, a CSA share is a share in a farm’s seasonal bounty, delivered to a pre-determined location each week with a half-to-one bushel worth of that week’s harvest. Each week’s share evolves with the growing season, starting with herbs, greens, and berries in the Spring, moving on to peaches, tomatoes, corn throughout the Summer, and pumpkins, apples, potatoes, and root vegetables in the Fall.

So, unfortunately, I don´t have visual representation of our meals yesterday, which were superb, particularly a little ´snack´ we ate before visiting the Rembrandt exhibit at the Albertina.

PT wasn´t all that hungry, but, in an unsurprising development, I was… we stopped at a beautiful cafe outside of the museum and decided to share a plate of items that were just barelz indiscernible. Within minutes came a plate of spectacular salmon, whipped cream cheese and creme fraiche laden with fresh horseradish (nothing like its supermarket cousin), pate with fresh raspberry and mango jam, prosciutto, and buttered toast. It was unbelievably delightful!

When I started spending more time in airports than on my laptop… I`m writing from an internet cafe on our first full day in Vienna, getting ready to glut myself on gooey pastries and world class coffee for the next 3 days before we head off to Budapest.

It was no small feat getting here, made only slightly less small by a frustrating European airline that begins with Air and ends in France, but we are here, and already thinking that Vienna might be the dark horse of European cuisine.

Using no more than our Lonely Planet Guide to Vienna, we found a charming and convivial pub/restaurant just a short evening stroll from our apartment.

I remember when I threw my first BBQ… I was so eager to have a few (ahem, 15-20) friends over, serve them my fried chicken, watermelon salad, and homemade desserts, and see a happy late summer day unfold before my gracious, hospitable eyes. It all seemed so convivial…. that is, until my mantra (borrowed from Nigella) of ‘never knowingly under-catered’ turned my party budget into something that more closely resembled my rent.

It was a hard lesson and sad reality…. as much fun as it is to throw a party for our nearest and dearest, it takes an awful lot of money to do it well. And, the fact is, none of us want to host an event and serve our guests Dollar Store crackers and factory farm chicken. We want to do as Ina does and serve Lobster Potpie, Capellini with Caviar, or have an enormous Kitchen Clambake, but these menus are generally far outside of a reasonable budget.

I am very nearly done with recounting the cupcake recipes from PT’s Birthday Extravaganza. I probably should have saved the best for last, but I like to keep things interesting, so I’m featuring the popular favorite from that evening (and the mornings after) in this third installment.

This recipe was the amalgamation of inspirations found across the web and in my own dear How to be a Domestic Goddess. I loved the rich dark chocolate and cherry cake that Nigella featured, but I was looking for a more outstanding presentation than the simple, recommended cherry on top.

When I graduated college and was living on my own, I was excited, yet trepidatious about cooking for myself. While my childhood had been spent baking, I didn’t know the first thing about savory cooking – how long does it take to cook a chicken, at what temperature, and how do you know when it’s done? It was all very confusing and frightening….

Then, I came across this recipe from Amanda Hesser in the New York Times for “Lemon Chicken.” It was an unassuming recipe with a nursery-school simple ingredient list. The only item throwing me for a loop was crème Fraiche. I knew not what it was, but was willing to give it a shot…..