Gastronomy 101

Argh, as it says in the post I am about to link to, I have been frantically working to finish all my projects at work, as Friday was my last day, and I was sick last week on top of that. I am a bad blogger. However, unless someone has a fantastic job they want to offer me right now (I'm open to all offers), I should have a little more free time for a while and so maybe I can do some blog posts! To kick off the hopefully upcoming blogstravaganza, here is my write up on the useful and sometimes lifesaving service at yummy.com on la.foodblogging.

Today is gray, gloomy, rainy and undoubtedly autumnal. In some ways it's nice. I have work to do and sitting inside feels cozy and warm instead of annoying and dull. And it's always good to know we're getting some rain. But it also feels like summer is gone and so perhaps it's time to do an ode to a summer fruit that's almost at the end of its days. Plums are grown all over the world and there are hundreds of types. They are a stonefruit, which means they have a pit inside. They are small - about 1-3 inches in diameter, with a smooth skin. They come in a rainbow of colors: they can be yellow, green, red, purple, blue and combos of those colors. There are two categories of plums: Japanese and European. Japanese plums are bigger and juicier and are usually eaten fresh. Varieties include Coe's golden drop (yellow), Santa Rosa (purple), and satsuma (red). Most European varieties are purplish-blue and oval and are used to make prunes, dried or made into preserves. Eu...

I love snacks. So much so that I have been known to skip the dinner and just have snacks. I know, I know, not good for you. But sometimes when I'm really tired or stressed or busy, I cannot bring myself to cook and the thought of a regular meal makes me feel full before I even eat. It's so much easier to just pick at a bowl of pretzels or Chex Mix or something. So I always have some kind of snacks around, just in case, but I have never really made my own. So the other day I decided to make my own crackers. These are called "tejas," which means "roof tiles" in Spanish. The recipe comes from Bon Appetit's September issue. It's a recipe of Francis Paniego, a Michelin-starred chef from Spain. These crackers are pretty much made for snacking on with wine in the early evening after your work is done. I think my phyllo dough is extra thin. I had to stack four layers and even so, I had to keep a watch on it in the oven as it cooked in only a few minutes. The...

I'm back, y'all. I have a new keyboard (and new keyboard protector!) and a whole shiny new topcase. Now no matter how far the beverage flies, it's not going to get my keyboard. So as my returning post, I'm going to discuss the offending beverage that killed my "A" through "L" keys. Let this be both an inspiration and a warning to you all. It all started when I found this intriguing bottle in the kitchen of something called "Velvet Falernum" and decided I MUST have a drink made out of it. The origin of Falernum is debatable, and I'm not even going to repeat the embarrassing story that's claimed on this particular brand's website. It seems clear, however, that falernum is a flavored syrup used in Caribbean drinks that may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The "falernum" is derived from the name of an ancient Roman wine. I was completely drawn to the name - Velvet Falernum. It sounds like an alchemist's potion, or somet...