glittercore's Profile

I live in Austin and work at a small grocery store chain, based out of Colorado, called Natural Grocers. All our produce is organic, and our prices are very competitive whole foods, sprouts, etc. I also shop at Wheatsville (there's nothing like a co-op!), though to be honest I do not understand folks who say HEB is great--maybe there is some kind of Texas brainwashing that I have missed out on? Of course the HEBs vary based upon neighborhood demographics, so their selection is inconsistent (so is customer service & cleanliness). I highly recommend the store that I work in if TX folks are looking for good quality, but of course I admit my bias :)

also it's my understanding that shaking a martini (a la james bond) makes the drink cloudy, which isn't very appealing...so when i was taught to bartend, martinis were always gently stirred for about 20 seconds.

this is on my agenda for today. fava beans are just so worth it.

when i started cheesemongering, i borrowed laura werlin's cheese essentials from my shop's library. it has handy little exercises at the end of each chapter that guide you through tasting different cheese types.

the best thing about her book is that it helps you develop a cheese vocabulary, i.e. many cheeses taste "nutty"--but what kind of nut are you tasting?

it's a great next step for someone who loves cheese but wants to feel more at home talking about it.

i am also a cheesemonger, and second the awesome suggestions from @curleesue, with the addition of a good blue--(irish) cashel if you're wanting something more mild or a good american from rogue creamery in oregon (rogue river is *amazing* with whiskey, though it may be hard to find. i think their oregonzola would be awesome as well).

it's true that whiskey is great with so many cheeses, though--just get 3-5 with varying textures and take note of what works. since you're sampling several different whiskeys, you'll probably find that some cheeses will work great with one and not so good with another.

hope you report back!

I visited this farm a couple of months ago, and have to agree re: that raw milk. I'd tried raw milk before, but never so fresh...it actually tasted almost like ice cream. Positively dreamy! Their cheese was amazing too, and everyone was SO friendly. Good folks to support :)

it only works for spring/summer, but in winter i long for pizza with fresh yellow peaches, jersey milk ricotta, and a blend of mint and arugula. i've made it a couple of times, but not recently. heaven on a crust.

i know it sounds weird, but adding sage to this tea would be a great addition. it tones down the astringency of the other spices and is great for soothing sore throats. i also really like a sage-honey-lemon-whiskey drink when i've got the winter throat scratchiness.

i'm so excited! i have many, many shirts that have those little spots from grease pops. nothing ever worked on them.

can't wait to try this.

Working in food service, I find that my hands get chapped even in the summertime. The best thing I've found is to put on body oil just after leaving the shower (a blend is good, or just use shea oil/butter, sweet almond oil, or jojoba). It's cheaper to buy them at health food stores than getting the stuff from fancier shops (and you can scent them w/ a drop of essential oil, if you want).

also i am a big fan of alba's unscented very emollient body lotion. it absorbs nicely.