"To Sparkle on the Surface . . ."

Henry David Thoreau is one of my heroes. He's a fantastic writer, able naturalist, and all-around resourceful guy. I've read and re-read Walden, Civil Disobedience, Self Reliance, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and the Maine Woods.

My thanks go to the fine individual has chosen to make Thoreau's journals into a blog. This daily window to the great man's thoughts across time and a nation never fail to give me pause for reflection.

Today, Thoreau's words herald spring and challenge us to be filled with joy and hope: "If rivers come out of their icy prison thus bright and immortal, shall not I too resume my spring life with joy and hope? Have I no hopes to sparkle on the surface of life’s current?"

Let's get back to sparkling, shall we?

Good Food . . . For the Ears

Last month, I started thinking about my "go to" podcasts, the ones I dash to the computer to sync and enjoy on a weekly basis. Today, I wanted to highlight KCRW's Good Food with Evan Kleiman.

The show is LA-based BUT . . . . (as a Northern Californian, there's always that moment of qualification when connecting to something in the southern region). It's a wonderful hour for foodies, highlighting not only what's fresh at the market (I need to confess to the Northern California region lag) but also just great food experiences and encounters. Whether I make it to the specific dining spots highlighted is less important than my understanding a new aspect of Thai food or a newly discovered Mexican delicacy that I can seek out on my own.

Evan Kleiman hosts the show. She's the chef/owner of Angeli Cafe and a smart, wise food guide. She bring folks like Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer to the show as well as eclectic characters like Eddie Lin, the "Deep End Diner" for (even) more adventurous fare. KCRW's show is focused on L.A. and Southern California but the content is so very, very good that I find it relevant to my own life a bit further north.

Check out Good Food and I promise: you won't be disappointed.

Resuming the Conversation

It's been far too long since I last posted. However, it's a new month, for some a new year, and a chance to start with the proverbial clean slate.

The last conversation I was having was about "go to" podcasts . . . the words that make me run to sync the iPod on a regular basis.

Today, I need to share KCRW's Good Food. Hosted by Evan Kleiman, Good Food brings great conversation about interesting food on a weekly basis. The Market Report is very much specific to Southern California; being a resident of California's North, I tend to fast forward through that segment unless Russ Parsons is speaking on anything vegetal. What happens next on Good Food could be a trip to an ethnic restaurant, a conversation with a leading Slow Food advocate, chef, or innovator.

The bottom line is that KRCW's Good Food never fails to engage me. Evan's voice is distinctive and keeps me coming back for more.

Now if only I can find taco trucks in the Bay Area that rival what can be found on the streets of L.A. . . . .

Ear Candy: The Splendid Table

I'm an avid podcast listener and thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorites here. (Not to mention this is an accessible topic for this all too infrequent blogger.)

The podcast that I run to sync weekly is Lynne Rosetto Kasper's The Splendid Table. This is simply a superlative food podcast. Kasper attracts authors, chefs, and interesting food people of greater and lesser note. She regular features Jane and Michael Stern of Road Food fame and the acerbic Christopher Kimball of Cook's Illustrated joins her for a "what would I cook from what's in your house" guest segment that is always amusing. Kasper's call-in dialogue is witty and smart. She's a trained chef and unabashedly in love with Italy but manages to share her fascination with food regardless of borders.

Kasper and her colleague at The Splendid Table, Sally Swift, have just published a book called How to Eat Supper. The book features the same tidbits and treats you can hear on The Splendid Table. I'm just starting to cook from it but am jazzed by the range of recipes and its focus on the weeknight table.

If you love food or just the idea of food, let Lynne Rosetto Kasper take you on a weekly journey where you'll travel on your stomach and taste with your mind and heart.

A New Year Tradition

We welcomed the New Year this morning with sake sipped from masu. I love the simple wooden box, the detail of the dovetail joints, and the scent the wood imparts to the sake. The masu elevates a simple drink to ritual. The spice mixture that flavored the sake overnight is a traditional Japanese blend that lends a gentle warmth to the brew. The first taste of the new year should be sweet and indeed, it was.

Cocktail Satisfaction

I love a good martini. Let me say upfront that I am a martini purist. The ingredients are simple--gin or vodka, a wee bit of vermouth, olive or lemon twist--shaken with ice and ushered into the glass. Period.

My dear husband just mixed a wonderful martini with a gin called Hendricks; it has stolen our hearts. The gin comes in a squat, black bottle, seemingly a throwback to ages past. What makes Hendricks special for me is its subtle cucumber finish. In a radical departure of martini purism, we will occasionally garnish a Hendricks martini with a cucumber slice to heighten that finish. Published information on Hendricks indicates there is a note of rose there too but I find that challenging to detect.

Cheers!