Accidental Hedonist

I’ve been writing for Seattlest now for over three months, and I like the gig a fair amount. The problem for me however, is that I have difficulties in writing about specific institutions (like local shops or whatnot) as I feel as if I’m doing nothing more than writing an advertisement. Not that this is [...]

If you’re big into wine history, check out the following story from the SFGate. It tells of the wine tasting event in France back in 1976, when French judges chose a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay from Napa Valley as superior to the best from their mother country in a blind tasting in Paris. Out [...]

It’s my turn to be tagged with the latest meme making its way ’round the food blogging community (henceforth referred to as the FBC). Many thanks to aun at Chubby Hubby (aka hungry hungry hungry) for being curious about my food life. What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own? Earliest I can [...]

For the record, Parmesan Cheese is not necessarily the same thing as Parmigiano Reggiano. Yes, that may be a little confusing, but let me see if I can clear things up. A good Parmigiano Reggiano has its roots in what the cow (who supplies the raw milk for the cheese) eats. The better their diet, [...]

Oi… enough with depressing food news! One of the tricks of finding recipes that actually taste good, is to take a risk every now and then. Granted, mixing pineapple and dates doesn’t really constitute much of a “risk”, but I’ll take my excitement where I can get it. The trick here was finding a recipe [...]

As politically savvy as I may or may not be, I actually do not like writing about food politics all that much, in large part because it’s so blessedly depressing. If one likes hot dogs, it’s best if one does not learn how hot dogs are actually made. If I had my druthers, I’d be [...]

Dear Reporters working on the “Mad Cow” Story, Although the “Discovery of Mad Cow” headlines show some semblence of research on your part, please let me suggest a few more story lines that should be examined. Why is only .375 of 1% of the cattle population being tested for BSE? Why didn’t the USDA perform [...]

I actually debated what I was going to make for this go around of is My Blog Burning, especially since fellow Seattle-ite, Viv (from Seattle Bon Vivant) was doing the hosting. You see, us Pacific Northwest folks gotta stick together. But what dish to make? Eggs Benedict seemed like the perfect dish, as it requires [...]

Official Description: This description of this balsamic vinegar comes from the Acetaia Bellei site: The “Bellei” Balsamic Vinegar of Modena with an orange label distinguishes the vinegar that has undergone the longest period of aging in small wooden casks. Its typical flavour is very pleasant and harmonious, and the sweet and sour taste is particularly [...]

Two weeks ago we talked about the possibility of a second U.S. cow having bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Today, that possibility became a reality as the English lab has confirmed that the cow had BSE. Two things to note about this announcement. 1) We learn that the Western Blot test (The test that actually came back [...]

Twenty years ago, only a handful of people in the States knew of the wonders of balsamic vinegar. Nowadays, you walk into your market of choice, and there it sits, next to the red wine and cider vinegars. Just what the heck happened during the past 20 years that made balsamic de rigeur? Truthfully? Greedy [...]

This is an okay recipe. I made it last night based on a suggestion from our fearless tech diva, Tara. She thought the dish was wonderful, I thought good, but not “oh-my-god-I’m-weeping-with-pleasure” good. Perhaps my standards are a bit too high. Or perhaps I’m too self-critical. Probably both. At any rate, the key to a [...]