Maia Krapcho, from Columbia, first learned baking at vo-tech school. While she has since moved on to a different career, she finds cake-baking to be a creative outlet. She is photographed in her home kitchen Monday, September 20, 2010.

Here’s the Howard County Times’ Go! story.

She makes crazy cakes — for fun! Like, for her husband’s dad’s birthday, she made a Scrabble cake! I saw a picture. It was awesome! The problem I had was illustrating her whimsical cake-making ability without a cake! Turns out, the assigning editor (a word person) told Maia not to make a cake for the shoot. He was worried it might cross some ethical photo line. And if it weren’t for a portrait I’d commend him. But it seems that in our little photo department’s fervor to explain photo ethics to the writers, we seemed to have confused some of them. So, I show up to the shoot, and there’s no cake. — well, there’s an ugly practice cake — but we can’t use that! So, we bang our heads for a while, trying to think up ideas. She was like, I could draw a mustache with icing. BRILLIANT!!! See. it helps to listen to your subjects. I asked her to send photos of her cakes to the editor and I made it my mission to showcase her personality. And trust me, this is all Maia.

bon appétit!

This is an overview photo of the ingredients and tools needed for making the Iron Bridge Wine Company’s cranberry bourbon and brown sugar glaze sweet potatoes. This is the Sensational Sides feature Iron Bridge Wine Company offered to make for the December issue of Howard Magazine.

Layer and slightly overlap the sweet potatoes in a circular pattern in a baking dish or, as seen in the photo, an oven safe dish. Cranberry bourbon and brown sugar glaze sweet potatoes is the Sensational Sides feature Iron Bridge Wine Company offered to make Friday, September 18, 2009.

Spoon the bourbon and melted butter glaze over the roasted sweet potatoes. Cranberry bourbon and brown sugar glaze sweet potatoes is the Sensational Sides feature Iron Bridge Wine Company offered to make Friday, September 18, 2009.

Victoria’s Gastro Pub won for Best Bar Food, Best Happy Hour, Best Burger, Best Late Night Dining, and Best Martini. Featured is the restaurant’s Roasted Veal Tenderloin and Jumbo Sea Scallop garnished with summer vegetable succotash and sweet corn butter. Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

Featured is a late night bar menu item, the Espresso Rubbed Pork Belly nestled in a bed of Anson Mill Farms White Cheddar Grits surrounded by a moat of gonzo porter jus. Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

Before the food came out I thought I would play with the light reflecting on this serving bowl.

Similarly, I played with morning sun casting on this pillar before the food showed up.

Featured item from the Maruha Sushi and Steakhouse is the seafood deluxe platter.

Featured is Baldwin Station’s Wild Boar Sausage made with cranberry port reduction and topped with a charred scallion salad.

Glenelg restaurant Bistro Blanc won Best New Restaurant in the Best of Dining results for Howard Magazine. Featured is a flank steak sous vide, with smoked cheddar potato gallette, and corn salsa.

Aida Bistro won Best of Dining for Italian food. Featured is a grilled wild sockeye salmon atop a homemade ricotta stufed ravioli, topped with a tarragon cream and tomato sauce, and garnished with local cherry tomato salad.

Clyde’s jumbo lump crabcake and outdoor seating has placed the Columbia waterfront restaurant tops in the Howard Magazine Best of Dining in two categories: Best Crabcake and Best Alfresco.

Golden West fried pickles…and happy to be drunk.