The custom of eating pork on New Year’s is based on the notion that pigs symbolize progress or prosperity for many cultures – not a connection that may immediately come to mind. The animal pushes forward, rooting in the ground before moving, symbolizing progress. In Italy, the fatty meat also symbolizes the fattening of...
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Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin called cheese “milk’s leap toward immortality” and I couldn’t agree more. If cheese is something you like sandwiched between two sheets of plastic, than you will not appreciate this post. But if you’ve had the real live thing – you are passionate about what cheese is and can appreciate its diversity...
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I learned my lesson about being hesitant about trying sheep cheese, and eagerly jumped in with both feet to try goat cheese. I was ready to be impressed, and was not disappointed. Goat cheese, with the fresh kind also known as chevre, is made from goat milk. Goat cheese comes in a wide variety of...
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I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite cheeses are made from sheep milk. I love the tanginess it imparts. Growing up in the Midwest, and well versed in the ways of cow’s milk cheese, for my first encounter, I am ashamed to say, I sallied forth with some trepidation, I had...
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Like much of life, fortified wines were born from necessity. In this case, to preserve European wines on long trade voyages in the 16th and 17th centuries. Brandy was added either before or during the fermentation process to stabilize the wines, and improve their shelf life. As might be imagined, traditional wines did not store well in the...
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Raw fish has found its way into many cuisines, and recently after reading a post on poke, I played a bit of a game with myself of trying to think of as many such dishes as I could. My only rule being,that no heat was involved, but “cooking” in acidic mixtures make the cut. Per...
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Robert-Gilles of Shizuoka Gourmet commented on my recent post of Dijon and Creme de Cassis that I was remiss in not including his hometown of Chalon-sur-Saôn, which is close to Dijon. I intend to correct that oversight. When my husband and I traveled through Burgundy, we had a mission – we were stalking the Tour...
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Waffles are definitely a staple of many Americans diets and very traditional for brunch in the United States. They are mostly considered a sweet food, but every so often they show up in some unexpected savory places. Waffles are at the top of my list of yummy breakfast food. Whoever developed those little wells...
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When we were in Dijon we had many (delightful) encounters with Creme de Cassis. We, ok I stuffed our luggage with bottles of this yummy liqueur to take back to the States as gifts, and of course to use ourselves.
Crème de Cassis is a sweet deep red, black currant flavored liqueur. The modern version of the...
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Spring + citrus are synonymous to me. The bright colors of the fruit coupled with the wonderful flavors and scents speak of freshness like nothing else. Living in San Francisco, I try not to take for granted my access to the amazing selection that I find in even the smallest corner store. However, having lived...
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