I’m Amy Cao, a New York-based writer for ZAGAT, Midtown Lunch, Tasting Table, offManhattan, and others. My articles and photos have also been featured in GQ, FHM, and Empire magazines. Earlier this year, I was a Shorty Awards finalist up against Anthony Bourdain in The Year’s Best Food on Twitter. In spring 09, I created Amy Blogs Chow to share my projects and food experiences, and to spotlight businesses and people who work within the food community that inspire me.

As a lifelong city person with round-the-clock access to ready-made foods, I don’t cook often. Thus, my cooking repertoire is limited to lemon tarragon chicken, brownies, and the annual birthday cake. When I’m not ordering in or dining out, I produce Stupidly Simple Snacks, a web video series to show non-cooks how to nuke potatoes and coat corn flakes with chocolate using only basic kitchen equipment and ingredients you have at home! Read about me in the New York Daily News and on CNN. Keep in touch via Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and email. amy • july 2010

FAQ Who films and edits your videos? I do, on my MacBook. What camera do you use for photos? Canon PowerShot G10. Who does your hair? The sweetest lady named Toyoka at Z Studio.