In Good Taste

Friendship, Refreshment

Today instead of a recipe I'm going to do a little shameless promotion. Not for myself, but for my friend Meagan, who I met in seventh grade when we were both bratty teenagers who called our parents names and made up songs about the boys we liked. 

Now, we see each other once or twice a year but when we do get together, it's as though we still live around the corner from one another in nearly-identical cookie cutter houses on Hawthorne and Sycamore Streets. 

She's become the kind of person who leads by example with her selflessness. She works in a hospital as a music therapist, bringing care and comfort to homeless families, terminally ill patients and autistic children - a job that has to have its dark moments, but you'd never know it from talking to Meagan.

Homemade Soft Pretzels (A recipe that anyone can make)

Whenever I don't have immediate plans to eat in a restaurant, I am usually daydreaming about the great places I want to try: a BYOB that I read about in Grub Street Chicago, a great vegetarian place a friend told me about, a cute wine bar that I pass on my way from the bus stop to work.

Of course, when I have actual dinner plans and need to choose a restaurant, I can never, ever think of one, which results in an inevitable volleyball game between me and my lucky dinner companion of no you pick this time, I'm not good at this.

The Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge: Week 19 (Marbled Rye Bread)

As you can see, I'm using the term "marbled" very loosely here, as the bread you're looking at is not even remotely marbled. Before I start making excuses, maybe I'd better tell you how we got to this point to begin with.

Last May (or maybe it was June) I accepted a challenge along with a group of bloggers, to bake our way through The Bread Baker's Apprentice. With fervor, I baked light wheat bread, herbed focaccia bread and homemade English muffins. I met a couple of roadblocks along the way, especially when an attempt at producing a flawless loaf of French bread resulted in Plan B: a trip to my local market. 

Four Tastes: Pears With Blue Cheese and Prosciutto

Even though the tongue is covered in taste buds, about 75% of what we taste is actually comes from our sense of smell. Our mouths can detect four distinguish four tastes: bitter, sour, salty and sweet.

Even though I usually tend to crave sweets (as is evident by chocolate chip biscotti, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, mint chocolate crinkle cookies and spicy gingerbread cake). 

Party Recipe: Rosemary Pecan Raisin Crisps

Last week I blogged about a wine tasting party that I hosted. More specifically, I taunted you with photos of delicious food without telling you anything about it.

For my other blog I've been doing a lot of research about food: not just cooking it and then forcing my friends to eat it (which I know, is weighty responsibility) but consequently learning more about it from experts that have dedicated their lives to their passion.