An Actual FJK Spotting

Vacation Update:

Well, I was back for a day before my sister, brother-in-law and niece came to visit for eight days. We had a great time hitting some of the tourist sites. Highlights were the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Muir Woods and the Yerba Buena carousel in San Francisco. Oh, and the free jelly bean samples at the Jelly Belly factory tour. We also hit the San Francisco Zoo, Fisherman's Wharf, the cable cars, North Beach (Little Italy), Chinatown and several lesser known sites. We we were in the middle of that record heat wave, but we just kept going.

Tomorrow I leave for a bit more than a week to see the rest of my family. Not sure what adventures food or otherwise I'll be able to report on, so watch this space!

When I get back, I promise, honest, to stay put for a bit and get caught up with recipes, food tidbits and opinions and lots of photos.

In the meantime, watch Sugar Savvy for my articles this Friday and next on See's Candies' chocolates. Also in the hopper at Sugar Savvy, a recap on my Jelly Belly factory tour. It should post in a few days, but I don't know exactly when.

Ooey and Gooey Get Together for See's #27

Check out my post at Sugar Savvy to read all about what happens when you wrap honey marshmallow up in butterscotch caramel. The folks at See's Candies call it a "scotch kiss," but do I call it delicious? You'll have to click on over to find out.

Eat My Words III - - Hot Dawg

The noblest of all dogs is the hot dog; it feeds the hand that bites it. -- Laurence J. Peter

------
Sausages and onions at the Alameda (California) County Fair, July 3, 2006

Not Quite Roughing It

It's time for the annual Kramer family vacation to the woods with no cell phone access, no computer access and no bathrooms or heat in our tent cabins. Oh, and no cooking for a week. We get three squares a day in the dining hall. It is a week of iceberg lettuce, too much salt, a lot of fat and not enough fiber and I love it -- no dishes for a week. Each night is a different cocktail party, though. Our group goes for champagne, cosmos, brie, smoked oysters and shimp cocktails with red licorice sticks and soda for the underage contingent. Others feature freshly blended frozen margaritas and there is always lots of chips.

Anyway, I've written my See's Candies reports in advance, so check in to Sugar Savvy each Friday to see what I've been tasting.

As usual, I have tons of material to share and no time to post. I apologize, appearances to the contrary, this really is a food blog!

Go Fourth and Grill (Veggie) Burgers This Holiday

As part of my duties at Paper Palate, I keep track of doings at Vegetarian Times magazine. Read my write up of their top veggie burgers here.

Their top pick is a bit of surprise, even to the VT taste team, it is a mock chicken patty. What ones am I looking forward to trying? Maybe the one that "tastes like a samosa," or maybe the best mushroom burger pick.

On a totally unrelated topic, the guys were out last night, so I rented "Mrs. Henderson Presents." Not much of a foodie movie (except for the whole tea thing) but it does a beautiful job of recreating late 1930s London. Warning, there is nudity (it is about an older woman producing variety shows with decorative female nudes in the background, after all), including a brief look of Bob Hoskins without briefs. Dame Judi Dench does the character of Mrs. Henderson justice, Bob seems a bit stilted (I expected a bit more fluid performance from Roger Rabbit's pal), and the musical hall acts are just charming. Lots of emotion, too.