LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
he three things I missed most about Texas while attending journalism school in Auburn, Alabama, were my family, my dog, and Torchy’s Baja Shrimp Tacos. So much so that I—after feeling inspired from watching hours of ‘Chopped’ reruns on Food Network— decided to re-create my own version at home. While most of the instructions were simple, trying to fry the shrimp in a pan was not. I did what any amateur chef would do in that situation, I went out and bought a $20 deep fryer from Kroger. It worked perfectly for frying shrimp, as well as other foods.
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“It’s pretty incredible how much power food has on our body.” I eat healthy 90 percent of the time—I genuinely love salad. But I also love the occasional indulgence, and the deep fryer sucked me right in. I think I made warm, fresh tortilla chips every day for two weeks straight. And within those couple weeks of fried food gluttony, I began to experience negative effects. I was sluggish, moody, my skin broke out, and my workouts were suffering. I immediately knew I had to give up the deep fryer if I wanted to get back to my normal self. It’s pretty incredible how much power food has on our body. What we eat impacts every system. It can make you feel both great and terrible—and sometimes it takes a temporary plunge into a bad diet from a normally clean diet to realize it. In a way, I think this issue represents my relationship with food. You’ll find informative articles about food and its effect on us (hence the issue theme: food and mood), as well as fun stories like how Texas Longhorn Football alums and Tennessee Titans, Brian Orakpo and Michael Griffin, opened a cupcake business in Bee Cave. Everything in moderation, it’s all about balance.
This issue is dedicated to Anthony Bourdain. His passion for food, truth and authentic reporting will continue to inspire every Austin Fit issue.
Keep Austin Fit,
Kat Barclay, Editor
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photo by Brian Fitzsimmons