Hazel Nuts
Traveling does weird things to people. It opens them up for new experiences. For example, I wouldn’t have thought a west coast trip would be my first exposure to such New Jersey classics as the Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese sandwich with saltpepperketchup.
However, I’m not going to further recount the excesses of my recent vacation. It’s just that this is traveling season, and I’ve got traveling on the mind. Tomorrow I’m headed off to my cousin’s wedding in East Hampton. And while there are some great things to eat there that I’ve been eyeing for years, I’m not sure I’ll get a chance to do so with all the planned festivities.
I am going to tell you about how a trip last summer reopened my eyes to a staple from childhood, and how one small act can have long lasting effects. This product requires no introduction as it’s famous the world over. You know it as Nutella. But what’s more interesting is how it came back into my life.
Hail No
For better or for worse I ate no strawberries during my time in California.
There had been some talk of going picking. But there was no reason to believe that the first strawberries of the season would even bear a passing resemblance to the magnificent fruits we got from our CSA during the days Mrs. Fussy and I lived in the region. We were very spoiled, and since then it’s exceedingly rare to find a strawberry that comes close.
Although the strawberries on the buckwheat crepes at Café Fanny looked like they might come close. It was one of my last meals in California and I eschewed the crepes with fresh, seasonal fruit for the simpler ones with homemade jam. That could have been a mistake. At least now there is a passing chance that I’ll be able to enjoy strawberries this summer. Because if the ones at Fanny were as stunning as they looked, I might be in trouble.
I can’t recall if strawberries were ever included in the fruit share from our CSA last year or not. Actually, our farm doesn’t grow the fruit we get, it comes from neighboring producers. But the whole region was clobbered by a hailstorm, which has wreaked havoc on the crops.
Eating With a Purpose
Do not try this at home. And when I say that, I’m really talking about two things.
1) Blogging without a net
2) Eating your way across the Bay Area
If I were a more reasonable man, I might take a break from blogging while on vacation. Instead, I’m committed to keep my posting schedule despite the time difference and the absence of my copy editor. This means both writing and posting before going to bed, so that there is new content up and ready for those on the east coast in the morning.
But I’m not a reasonable man. And if you followed me closely yesterday on Twitter, you would have a better understanding of what I’m talking about.
A Bad Name
One of the simplest and most refreshing summer quenchers has one of the worst names in the classic cocktail cannon. I suppose to the cocktail literati it makes sense. But to the ordinary Jane or Joe on the street it does nothing to convey the essence of the drink.
Just recently I tried the antithesis of this cocktail, and its name.
The Provencal cocktail evoked Provence in a glass. It was lavender infused Plymouth gin, mixed with a vermouth from Provence, Cointreau and a twist of orange zest. It was amazing, especially with a platter of house cured meats.
My summer quencher is much simpler. I promise.
Strangers on a Plane
It’s probably a bad idea, but recently I have been wearing my FUSSYlittleBLOG baseball hat out in public. I had a fancier one made than the hats for sale at the FUSSYlittleSTORE. This newer hat is white and has the logo embroidered on it in large red letters.
One problem of course is that I’m not really a baseball hat kind of guy. The other one is basic manners. I am very uncomfortable wearing a hat indoors. But I’ll tell you, it was invaluable yesterday when it came to covering my eyes on the plane so I could take a nap in my seat.
Still, I can’t resist a bit of self promotion. So I’m still donning my cap.
On one leg of the flight it was a conversation starter with the flight attendant, who after I explained what the blog was all about, said that she was going to be my new best friend. The fellow at Potbelly wanted to know if I would be writing about him and my breakfast sandwich. I told him probably not.
But I was most excited about the talk I had with the woman to my left on the leg to California.
Deconstructing Pie
I’m not always a nice guy. Sometimes on teh Internets I snipe at things and take pot shots. What can I say, I have strong feelings about food, and I don’t always have the time to elaborate on the specifics.
After all, the comments section of someone else’s blog or a talk thread on a tangential subject isn’t always the most appropriate place to go into all of the excruciating details. Short form responses are not my strength. I wish they were.
Anyhow, in times like these I’m glad I’ve got my own FUSSYlittleBLOG.
Because yesterday I happened to type the following words into my phone in the parking lot of a Price Chopper, “OMG! That deconstructed mess at Creo ranks as among one if the worst things I’ve ever put in my mouth. Wow.”
Obviously, I should not be submitting comments on my phone while Little Miss Fussy is demanding exit from the car with increasing urgency and volume. However I felt compelled to speedily weigh in on the issue because some local Yelper had mentioned that they thought this ill-conceived dessert was just great.
Regardless it’s not fair to make a statement like that without backing it up.
Wrapping My Head Around Cupcakes
You’ve asked for it. Well, maybe you demanded it. Had you just asked for it, I probably would have ignored you until it went away, or you simply forgot about it. But that didn’t happen.
I know this because here I am, no fan of cupcakes, about to embark on putting together a Cupcake Challenge for you all.
But this is going to take a bit of legwork, and as this thing progresses I may call on some of you for your help. But right now, I’m just looking for input. Mostly because I took a look around at all the places around the region that sell cupcakes, and came to the quick realization that there is no way we can evaluate them all.
As I may have mentioned, I’m no fan of cupcakes. While I’m happy to cull the herd of contenders myself based on a personal set of criteria, I thought it might be more prudent to get the input from the cupcake lovers first.
This is just one of the pieces of input I want from you today.
FUSSYlittleBLOG 