My Blog is Re-Debuting!

Yeah, I know. I took an unannounced hiatus from the blogosphere, which I think is a total faux-pas. Particularly when I’m just getting started. But it is what it is, right? The point is that I’m back and ready to move forward.

So let’s start with last week’s NYT Dining section. One word: awesome. They were so uninspiring for awhile, but they’re back with a vengeance. Kinda like my blog! So here’s the scoop:

~ Ooooh, absinthe! Seriously, people, it’s back! My local French restaurant has it on the menu as an aperitif, and the Times is writing about it. The article was actually really interesting because it goes into the history of absinthe, why it was banned, and the exciting innovations going on today. You’ll read this article and be half-tempted to buy a bottle…except that the good stuff cost upwards of $65 for a bottle. Yikes! I hate to plop down that kind of money without some sort of reassurance that I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it. And I’ve never tried absinthe so that guarantee is completely lacking. But if I do try it, you’ll be sure to know.

~ Wine prices are going to go up. Which is really not good news for a blog with “pinot” in its name. Will that stop me from spending half my paycheck on the grape? Never.

~ There was an article on the death of the entrée. But it didn’t do much for me. The entrée is over? Who cares? I just want to eat good food, whether it’s on one big plate or lots of little ones. Just make sure it’s quality.

~ There’s a recipe for Bulgar Pilaf with Chestnuts and Spicy Tangerine Brown Butter. Am I the only one that thinks that sounds insane?! But they wouldn’t put in the Times if it were total crap, right? Right? So naturally I’m tempted to try it.

~ Okay, I hesitate to even mention this next bit because it makes me a hypocrite. But there’s a blurb about cured ham from Spain called Jamón Ibérico. It cures for more than two years and will cost you a pretty penny at $50 a pound. Apparently, it hasn’t previously passed U.S. health inspections, but now it has and it’s coming to the States. Part of me is thrilled – I’m sorry, but I would happily pay $25 for a half-pound experience. However, having read Omnivore’s Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I know what sort of carbon footprint my $25 purchase is making. But damn! I want to try that ham!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the NYT Dining section last week. Cool, eh? A proper re-debut for my blog. Now, go forth and, for heavens’ sake, eat well.