Thoughts On The New Year

Quickly jotting down something more than just as a reminder for the year to come....

What have we got to lose right?  The only thing left to do is to take more risks in our lives.

In the spirit of that, a look at 15 years of Hussein Chalayan in fashion. 


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

A Taste of the Holiday Season

I know this is not a food blog but I just had to post this picture.  And since it is the Holiday Season and we are all most probably stuffing our bellies at some point during this period, I thought it might be appropriate just this one time.

I recently acquired some marzipan from the beautiful city of Toledo (Spain) while I was on vacation there and they are just so irresistible!  I mean I couldn't even wait until after taking the picture to eat them with BFOG!  Just look at them;  all the little bundles all handmade and brimming with joy.  The 3 varieties here come either coated with pinenuts, crystal sugar, or with yolk filling (yema as they call it there).  And these are from one of the most prominent and local favorited shops in town; Santo Tome (since 1856).  Biting into one of these not only make you realize how beautiful something so simple yet so well-crafted can taste; but one also feels like they're biting into a piece of history.  The history books in Toledo tells us a story of local nuns helping to stave off famine during King Alfonso's VIII's battle against the Moors in 1212 with the help of these little 'almond bread'.  Because the nuns had a good supply of almonds (but not much else) in their reserves, they pounded the almonds with sugar and created 'bread' to provide food to the public. 

These are not your everyday variety of marzipan that are usually funnily colored and shaped into a leg of ham or a carrot.  These ones have a PGI status which according to BBC Foods, has "the origin and quality of products that carry this hard-won stamp of authenticity". 

So which foods are you especially enjoying with your loved ones this holiday period? 


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/britishpdos.shtml