ABOUT ME

I am a native Washingtonian, back in my home town after time in Manhattan and Jerusalem. I live in a charming loft with a pink wall and a great fireplace, and I cook up a storm daily. Food is "merely" a hobby — I'm a consultant during the day — but I could spend hours talking about (and eating) food without ever getting bored.

ABOUT NDP

Not Derby Pie was a dessert my mom has made ever since I can remember. It's named after Derby Pie, the Kern's Kitchen original that has been trademarked. Picture flaky pie crust, a thick layer of chocolate, and a light, nutty nougat with a thin crust, and you'll understand why I chose the simple yet decadent NDP as the blog's namesake.

ABOUT THE BLOG

I've been cooking as long as I've been able to make a mess, and blogging has nudged my cooking to the next level. It's also been a great opportunity to fiddle with camera settings and take great pictures. As with anything, NDP is a work in progress. I encourage you (plug!) to leave comments, especially if you try out a recipe and have some tweaks or questions. I'm really good about answering people's inquiries in a timely manner… so the more, the merrier.

ABOUT THE MATERIALS

I use a Pentax IST DL (that's a DSLR) for all my pictures, and (embarrassingly) the lens that came with the camera. I'm saving up my pennies for a macro lens, but for now, that'll have to wait.

NDP uses the Cutline 3-column split theme for Wordpress, from Chris Pearson. It's a fantastic theme with plenty of customization possibilities. That said, NDP wouldn't look the way it does without tons of modification and a host of plugins. I'm living proof that it's possible to teach yourself basic html and css. It may have taken hundreds of hours, but it's well worth the final product.

Above all, NDP is 100% a labor of love (and chocolate). So read, eat, and enjoy!