Joy the Baker

Meet Joy

I’m Joy. I’m a baker. Had you guessed as much?

I’m currently hurtling into my thirties, trying to show the world, and my kitchen, what’s what.

I’m a self taught/ family taught/ taste buds taught baker.

I grew up in the kitchen in between my father, who makes a mean Sweet Potato Pie, and my mother, who makes a really weird purple hot dog casserole… don’t ask.  Between my kitchen loving parents, the clinking cake pans, and the flying flour, it became clear that baking is in my blood.

I live in Los Angeles, by the beach. That’s where I do a majority of my living, working, eating, cocktailing and related horsing around.

On a good day, Los Angeles looks like this.  What a world.

I live with a precious kitten named Jules Stevens.  He is a monster… a beautiful, hungry, cuddly monster.

I really like chocolate… and cookies.. and anything with the word ‘cake’ in the title… and funky things like Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies. I can think of no  better way to get to eat all of these goodies, than to teach myself how to bake them.

Joy the Baker has been up and running and taking over the Internet since January 2008.

In that time I’ve made an immeasurable amount of friends in people like you.

The Joy the Baker Cookbook is my first cookbook.  Published by Hyperion, 2012.

Saveur named Joy the Baker the Best Baking and Dessert Blog of 2011.  I’ve been nominated for the 2010 Bloggies ‘Best Food Blog’.  I’ve been named one of the Top Fifty Food Blogs in the World by the London Times.  I’ve been named Best Baking Blog by Foodbuzz… and Forbes said some really lovely things about me!  Joy the Baker food and photography has also been featured in Food and Wine Magazine, as well as Sunset Magazine.

…all because I have a compulsion to take pictures of the things that I bake.

I’m also co-founder of Homefries.com.

Homefries is a destination for fun, high-quality podcasts, covering food and wine, parenting and simple living, and entertaining.

Homefries is home to The Joy the Baker Podcast and We’re About to be Friends, as well as, The Simple Mom Podcast, and The Table Set.

My friend Michael and I work hard every week to create new podcasts… the kind of podcasts that we would want to listen to.

It’s like easy listening… without the terrible saxophones.

We made a video too!  It’ll answer all the questions about who we are, what we do, and why we want to talk at you.

This blog is proof that I’m navigating my way through the world.  You’ll get a little bit about life, and a healthy heap of love, cookies, cakes and creams.  Together we’ll figure out how they all come together to create one incredibly sweet life.

Would now be a good time to mention my affection for Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes, Barbecue Buttermilk Onion Rings and trashy reality television shows?  Oooooh man.

Now!

Here’s a little of the nitty gritty:

I shoot using a Canon 5D.  It’s borrowed.  I use a 24-105mm lens, a 100mm macro lens and a 50mm lens.  Can I be honest?  Back in the day, I used to take food photos with my camera phone exclusively…. I’m not all that fancy.

I use natural light.  Why?  Because I love to bake and shoot in the morning, and my life works out pretty well that way.

The blog is powered by WordPress, an unbelievable amount of granulated sugar, and a sometimes unreasonable desire to share with you all of my kitchen happenings.

My favorite thing to bake is Apple Pie.

I love navy blue and high waisted pants.

I drink wine.  I love bourbon.

I wear clogs in the kitchen and heels out in the world.

I really suck at wearing lipstick.

And… put me in a pair of tight black pants and I’m good for the rest of my life.

I sincerely thank you for coming here so loyally, baking things and saying nice words.  I’m so glad you’re around.

I mean that from deep inside my heart.

Contact me at:   joy (at) joy the baker (dot) com

I try very hard to respond to each email I receive.  Please forgive me if, for some reason, I am unable to get back to you.  I like you… I just need more hours in the day.

Follow me on  Twitter and get all up in my business on Facebook.  Say hello!  I’ll say hi back!

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