Now that the actual work on the whiskey book is near complete, at least from a research and writing angle, I've been thinking about what to do next. To me, there was only one real answer - Beer.

Now I have to admit, I haven't really done the hard work as of yet. No publishing house has agreed to do the book, mostly because I have yet to actually sit down and write the proposal (something that is on my list of things to do for the month of January). It's admittedly the ass-backward way of getting the second book out there, but to me, the book is beside the point. The real fun is in the research, which I can do with or without a book contract. And as I still have a full time job, there's no pressing financial need to get a publishing house on board sooner rather than later.

But enough about the financial side of the book world. Let's get down to what the book is about.

I've been talking with my friend and co-worker Andrea about beer, and we have put a fair amount of thought about how to approach this book. Finding a catch for a beer book can be difficult. Written pub crawls have been done, and beer guides are easily found. History books are fun to research for me, but possible droll dull to read for others. What could we do that would make this book a little different from other beer books out there.

And then it hit us. We would commit to a full year of beer activities. Sometimes it would be as simple as writing a beer review. Other events will be more sociable, like counting the number of beer commercials during the Super Bowl - whilst at a sports bar. We're even planning a week long trip through Belgium, Germany, and the Czech Republic, in order to find out how these areas, rife with beer history, compare against American beer culture.

But the primary narrative on which the rest of these events will be hung will be the following - Andrea and I are looking to become certified beer judges, the type of people who go to beer events across the country and determine just how good or bad the contestants may be. Now I only have the slightest idea of what's involved in this process. I also want to make sure that we both treat this quest with the greatest amount of respect. This isn't a stunt. Both Andrea and I have stated to one another that Beer judging will be something we will pursue for sometime after the book is completed. My hope is that ten years from now, after all is said and done, I'll still be judging brews out there at the various festivals, and I'm sure that Andrea feels the same.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

You folks out there are more than welcome to participate in our activities. From reading of our exploits on this blog, to open invitations to various events (which will be announced at throughout the year), the goal here is to not just expand our knowledge of beer, but yours as well. We'll have to see how well we do.

So 2009 will be the year of beer. The hope is that near this time next year, both Andrea and I will be certified beer judges, and have a multitude of experiences to which we can draw from and enjoy for the rest of our lives.

How does fear of money woes weigh on the value of a meal and determine what restaurant people want to go to? As the economy sinks further and further, restaurants dig deeper into their bag of tricks to find a way to keep the customers crawling back. With less money and no signs of much to come, the instinct is for customers to tuck their tails between their legs and stay home with their stoves. I'm not the first to find this out--a search around the internet will turn up the myriad of food writers discussing the transition of Americans back into their kitchens, highlighting only the cheapest of the cheap deals at local restaurants--two for one, free appetizers, happy hours, whatever it is they can think of to pull in the people.

While it is pretty much established that Americans will be finally learning their way around those Viking ranges they bought back when life looked good, the fact is there will be some restaurants that do better and some that do worse as the economy swirls itself down the drain. How will this fiscal situation determine where people eat?

A recent comment on my blog was shocked that in reviewing a new local restaurant, I declared our $70 meal for two an excellent value. "In this tanking economy?" Kelly asked me. Well, yes! As a diner, I felt that the ambience, the service and the flavors added up to far more than I spent, so that meant good value to me. Value, however, is a tricky word, as Kelly supplemented her comment suggesting two other nearby places at a much lower price point that she felt had better value. I don't happen to like these places. I have been to both (more times than I care to admit) and been disappointed each time that I had spent the $15-20 they cost me. To me, there is far more value and enjoyment involved in going out half (or a third) as often and getting an experience that I consider valuable, rather than going out for the sake of going out, and having to limit myself to places where you get what you are paying for--and you're not paying much.

That is not to say there are not a great number of cheap restaurants that I enjoy very much, however, as the eating out becomes less and less of a regular thing around my house, I want more and more from those times I do leave the house. I want all the whimsy of waiters waiting, candles flickering and food tantalizing. That's my personal feeling on things and I'm sure that there are many people with a different strategy for dealing with the recession in relation to restaurant dining habits.

As all of us together enter this time of penny pinching, I know we'll all choose different ways to keep the coins in our pockets. However, for the sake of all restaurants, I hope that people will find their own way to make themselves feel like they get their money's worth when they eat out so that the many wonderful restaurants out there can continue to make fabulous food!

What's your strategy for enjoying a restaurant meal in the current economy?

Naomi
The Gastrognome (She Eats and Tells)

Well, I'm all packed and am now waiting for the cab that's to arrive in about an hours time. The sun is just starting to rise over the house tops, and there's a a bit of chill in the air.

I've purchased way too many books whilst here, and now own several books containing various English and British recipes. The result of which is that the weight of my luggage has increased a fair bit.

London has a hectic energy about itself that I haven't seen since being in Manhattan several years ago. Partly due to my schedule, I have nearly gone non-stop since arrive here two weeks ago. I've seen a great majority of the museums here, and have eaten a different meal nearly every day. From British cuisine to Malaccan, from foie gras to bone marrow, I have tried to sample a wide variety of food that I hadn't before. I've taken nearly 400 pictures.

The end result of all of this is that I am nearly spent. As I told a friend on New Years day, London seems like an all night dance party. At the start it's a great experience, near blissful as a diversity of energy assaults one's senses. But by 5 am, even as a new DJ takes the stand, the body says "No. No more. I can't. I'm exhausted." I am near that point.

That's not to say that there hasn't been highlights. Clearly there has. A quick list includes:

- Doing a pub tour on Christmas eve, specifically drinking at Sherlock Holmes Pub drinking a half-pint of bitter, will be a memory that stands for a while.

- Seeing a show in the West End affected me more than I expected.

- Eating at St. John was a pure delight.

- Seeing the pieces of impressionist artwork at the National Gallery was extremely moving.

And there are more...much more. The top was seeing a friend that I haven't seen in several years. But that's more for private consumption.

There are several things I've learned while here as well. For one, regardless of the restaurant, there's less pressure to turn over the tables. It took me nearly a week to realize that the wait staff wants you to hang out and enjoy your final drink before you go. This usually was exemplified by the final check not being delivered any where between five to fifteen minutes after I had finished my meal. This was totally foreign to me.

Second, I've learned that, for all of the grief the Brits have taken for their cuisine, they are unabashedly proud of it. Most of the people here love their fish and chips, yorkshire pudding, kebabs or bitter. While this is not surprising in of itself, the sheer amount of words I have heard from various servers, friends, and barmen talking about their food without me having to bring it up was odd. Imagine going into your local tavern and having your server bring up their recent consumption of mac and cheese, and you'll get a good idea of what I experienced at not one, but three separate restaurants/pubs.

But alas, my time here is over. I've gotten an odd crush on James May, a new found affection for the Mighty Boosh, and an odd appreciation for quiz coms. And now I have to let these things go. It's 5am now at the dance party, and my body just can't take any more.

But I'm quite looking forward to the next one.

When Kate asked if I wanted to start my blog posts today or next week, I didn't have to think twice. Today, New Year's Day, is such a day of beginnings that I only thought it to be appropriate. (A big thanks to Maura for passing the Thursday torch!)

As I was brainstorming on the perfect New Year's Day post, I tried to focus on the idea of accidental hedonism and the thought of haphazardly stumbling into such a pleasurable philosophy. But then I got a call to let me know that a friend had passed over the evening. And an email notifying me that another friend had welcomed his new daughter into the world as well. I realized that in this life, perhaps nothing is accidental.

Today, on this fine New Year's Day, I'm reminded of all the great celebrations I've enjoyed over the years. The football games, the party hats. New Year's is a time of reflection and evaluation, forward movement and promise. It's only appropriate to enjoy tasty homemade chili or savory hors d'œuvre on such a celebratory occasion! From potato chips to cheese logs, food is an essential part of our lives. A great meal makes us feel good, inside and out, whether it's crepes in France or creole in New Orleans. What an amazing feeling - when that bite on your fork finally reaches your lips and you realize just how great the experience will be. Poof! A wonderful food memory is made.

For this year, dear readers, I wish you even more fantastic food moments in 2009. Maybe a few of them won't be so accidental.

Before announcing the new writers, I want to give a gracious thank you to the four outgoing writers that have given their time and effort for the past six months. Ben, Charmian, Maura, and Emily have all made it enjoyable to read this site, and their work has added to the level of quality to this site. If you haven't already, I highly recommend adding their sites to your respective RSS feed readers.

And now, the new writers.

On Thursdays, and starting tomorrow, is Jennifer Heigl of The Daily Blender.

Saturdays will bring you Naomi, of the site The GastroGnome.

Tuesdays will be Cheryl Sternman Rule from 5 second rule.

Finally, Wednesdays will be the day that Dave Katz will bring his meat expertise from Get Your Grill On.

I'm quite looking forward to the next six months, and I hope you all welcome these new writers with open arms and an open mind.

Macarons from La Maison du Chocolate, found here in London as well as other countries in the world.

I do not know why I've gone through my life without having any of these prior to my trip here to London. I feel as if I've come across a wonderful discovery, one where these delightfully light and soft, with flavorful ganaches within.

Did I mention flavor? These little beauties come in multiple flavors, from the typical chocolates and vanillas, to the more obscure rose waters and caramels. I have yet to come across one that made me go "Blech".

Part of my reticence in trying these cookies previously come from my aversion of sandwich cookies with their typically hard-to-stale cookie consistency. Additionally, Macarons are not a staple of bakeries and/or chocolatiers in the States, so they are hard to come by.

However, I know for a fact that a certain little world-renown bakery that's a mere two blocks from my house. I anticipate a few trips in the near future.

As this is my last post for Accidental Hedonist, I'm ending my six-month Tuesday guest blogger stint with my absolute favorite dessert -- Crème Brûlée. It's so good I don't resent the time spent hunting for the right accents to ensure this dessert maintains its French flare.

I normally go for anything chocolate, but if crème brûlée is on the menu, I can't resist. Then I found a recipe for Chocolate, Orange and Candied Ginger Crème Brûlée and got the best of both worlds.

The following recipe comes from Dominique & Cindy Duby's sinfully beautiful book, Crème Brûlée: More Then 50 Decadent Recipes.

Here, the Dubys provide a wide range of recipes -- some sweet, some savory, some using classic techniques some drawing upon molecular gastronomy. For those who like their eye candy edible, they show you how to make caramel cages, caramel threads, caramel dust and even bubble caramel.

The photography is beyond stunning. Their White Chocolate & Green Tea Brûlée is too beautiful to eat. This shot is from the book. I don't know whether to stare or gobble.

Who could resist starting a meal with Crab, Corn & Cheddar Brûlée, or ending it with a Spiced Pumpkin version? While purists can make the definitive Classic Vanilla Crème Brûlée, the adventuresome will want to try all 50 offerings or follow the tips on making their own brûlées creations. And if you're not sure what alcoholic beverage to serve with your works of art, the Dubys include a section on pairing wine with the various brûlées.

Without further ado, I leave you with one of my favorite flavor combinations in the form of my favorite dessert. Calories be damned.

Chocolate, Orange & Candied Ginger Brûlée
Makes 6

Excerpt published with permission from Crème Brûlée: More Then 50 Decadent Recipes by Dominique & Cindy Duby

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) whipping cream
2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk
two 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces fresh ginger
grated zest of 1/2 orange
3.6 ounces (100 g) 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp (30 g) granulated sugar
3 Tbsp (45 g) granulated sugar for caramelizing

Garnish
1 or 2 oranges, peeled and segmented
4 tsp (20 ml) finely chopped candied ginger
6 sprigs mint

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

Combine cream, milk, ginger and orange zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, cover saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Strain cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding ginger and orange zest. Return cream to saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate until melted.

Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Slowly add hot chocolate mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins in a shallow roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custard barely moves when ramekins are shaken, or a knife inserted in center of custard comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove ramekins from the roasting pan and let cool at room temperature for at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).

Just before serving, sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over custards to cover them completely. Turn upside down to remove excess sugar. Ignite a blowtorch and caramelize sugar until evenly melted, moving the torch constantly so sugar doesn't burn.

The following is a visual representation of my past week in London.

Piccadilly Circus

The Thames

Drury Lane

A Pint of Bitter

St. Paul's Cathedral (which I've been told is far more important in significance to Londoners than Big Ben)

A Dragon

The Courts of Justice (I love the architecture here).

This was on the menu as Toad in the Hole. I'm a bit suspicious.

Portobello Road.

Big Ben St. Stephen's Tower.

It's been a heck of a week, and I feel as if I've only explored less than 1 percent of what London has to offer.

Christmas dinner in my family is usually a two-day event: Christmas Eve is an encore presentation of Thanksgiving dinner (my mother's favorite meal), featuring turkey and all the fixings. Christmas day is a standing rib roast with potatoes, including the gratin dauphinoise I have been making for years.

This year, however, Christmas was extended to today, when we had a third celebration with my grandparents. Needless to say, I'm stuffed.

After all the overeating of delicious but rich things over the past week or so, I'm going to offer a simple and tasty recipe for healthy salmon to get us back on track. When I first made this, I served it with wasabi mashed potatoes, but for a leaner dinner, feel free to serve it with steamed vegetables. (Or just go for the mashed potatoes... you only live once!)

I hope everyone had a healthy and happy holiday!

emiglia
Tomato Kumato

Maple-Soy Salmon
1 salmon fillet (about 6 oz.)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. wasabi
olive oil

Whisk the syrup, soy sauce and wasabi in a small container and pour into a plastic bag. Add the salmon fillet and refrigerate flat for at least thirty minutes and up to three hours, turning once.

When ready to cook, heat a skillet and add just enough olive oil to coat. Remove the salmon from the marinade and add to the skillet. Cook two minutes per side and then serve with the side of your choice.

I had initially planned to make my own mince meat pie back home in Seattle, but time did not allow for me to fit this into my schedule. I was a tad disappointed, but I knew that I now had something to look forward to for next holiday season.

Little did I know that I would be entering a country where they take their mince pies very seriously. In fact, the tradition of mince pies comes from England.

First things first, mince pies are not the same thing as mince meat pies. However, mince pies are a derivation of mince meat. Mince meat pies were often made around the holiday seasons of the seventeenth century, made from minced pieces of beef and pork with suet, and sweetened with sugar and/or dried fruit. The pies would be topped with a facsimile of the baby Jesus made out of dough, and this doughy baby Jesus would be eaten.

The puritans, none to keen on seeing the sacrilegious act of eating of God, banned the eating of the mince meat pies for the Holiday season, and if my tour guide is correct, these laws are still on the book today.

Over the past three hundred years, mince meat gave way to raisins, sultanas, and dark sugar. Very few mince meat pies are actually made. Here in London, mince pies were everywhere. Mince meat pies were more difficult to procure. I was able to find a few at the food halls of Fortnum & Mason, one of the many upscale department stores here in town. Yes, that's real beef in the center there.

Sweetened beef is an odd idea, but the taste was surprisingly good. Yes, the raisins gave it the sweetness we usually associate with the pie, but the minced meat pie wasn't cloyingly sweet.

Now I hear that these are served with a dollop of whipped cream. Alas, I had none, and had to make due with what I had. It was still quite good, and made for a great Christmas day.