About Me

Hi there and welcome to my humble corner of the interwubs =)! I'm Xiaolu (or you can call me XL), a Chinese-American girl in her mid-20s who loves baking, cooking, and pretty much any food-related DIY project. I recently left the legal field to return to a student's life -- all in order to pursue a career in nutrition. In addition to food, my other biggest passion is music. If pushed to pick a favorite genre, I'd say "indie rock," but then I'm not even sure what that means ;p. Some of my favorite artists are Stars, Tool, A Perfect Circle, NIN, Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, The Decemberists, The National, Patrick Wolf, The Jezabels, The Notwist, Muse, The Temper Trap, The XX, Gackt, and countless others.

You may notice from my recipes that I eat mostly vegetarian (with some seafood) due largely to taste and upbringing. Although I also agree with many moral, ethical, and environmental reasons for reducing meat consumption, I completely respect and try to accommodate whatever diets others follow. I actually live with my meat-loving boyfriend and have recently resolved to learn to cook some meat dishes he enjoys. So any tips for prepping meat or recipe recommendations would be great!

Though I'm still relatively new to blogging, I'm grateful to already have connected with many fabulous foodies around the world through this community. Plus this blog has led me to discover a great passion for food styling and photography. If you're just starting a blog or considering it, there are a number of wonderful basic tutorials online (many of them from bloggers). I encourage you not to be shy about contacting bloggers (myself included) to ask about specific shots or techniques you like. I certainly wasn't! For anyone who's interested in my photography set-up, I've shared some tips and behind-the-scenes photos in this post and have posted a more extensive compilation of beginning food photography and styling tips HERE. I use the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS camera with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. Both are on the lower end of the price range for DSLR equipment. Though the Rebel XS has served me well, I'd recommend starting with a slightly higher-end model if you expect to be serious about photography. Regardless of the camera, I guarantee the 50mm lens is the best bang for the buck you'll get from a lens. While I have no professional aspirations, I do try very hard to make the images here as inviting and mouth-watering as possible for your viewing pleasure!

Please feel free to comment here or email me about anything from food to photography to music to cute baby tigers at xiaolu6+info[at]gmail[dot]com. Thanks for stopping by!