Foodie Finds: Toad-in-the-Hole {And Other Novelties}

 This being my second posting on the topic, I feel ought to explain my fascination with food. I realize that I am in no way unique in my love, but nonetheless 'there is no love sincerer than the love of food' {George Bernard Shaw}. I think the unifying effect of food is fantastic- it is where traditions are made and cultures are experienced. That said, it should come as no surprise that the creation and consumption of tasty vittles is an international obsession in which I heartily partake. In fact, there was a time where I considered dedicating my entire life {in addition to many Pinterest boards and bookshelves} to learning how to sauté, flambé, and generally cuisiner {using the correct pronunciation, this continues the rhyming scheme and means 'to cook'}. No longer my sole focus, I would still say that for me, to eat is to live. This brings me round to my main point, in my adventures abroad, eating has become one of my primary hobbies. Especially eating regionally unique foods. I will and have walked miles to try something interesting. Happily, this week required no such effort, as British specialties were practically given to me on a silver platter! That is to say, the refectory {cafeteria} chose to celebrate 'British Food Fortnight,' a glorified meat-and-potatoes week, or so I thought. Yes, they served three variations of Shepherds pie, but, no, it was not all bland and uninteresting. Exhibit A: Toad-in-the-hole. A piece of meat, often sausage, in a crust of yorkshire pudding. Evidently, it surfaced twice a year on the menu of an upper-crust dining society, the Thursday's Club call'd the Royal Philosophers, before falling from grace. Now a working man's dish, it is affectionately known as 'toad-in-the-hole,' the hole being the stomach and the toad being something to fill it. And filling it was, though the refectory's version was vegetarian, it was still a lunch to ruin my dinner. A little thyme, simple batter {the pudding bit}, and roasty veg, lovely! Exhibit B: the Custard Tart. The English custard tart has long been a local favorite, gracing the tables of countless Royal feasts,  but according to the internet, it pales in comparison to its cousin, the Portuguese custard tart. Thus, this lightly nutmeged tart has gained a reputation more for its political statements than its popularity. I must admit, I think I may have enjoyed today's tart as much on someone's face as in my mouth. Not that it wasn't delicious, just not enough to warrant a cult following like the 'pie-to-the-face' practice. Finding its way into avant-garde theatre, conferences, newsrooms, and comedies, it is much beloved in British society, if not for reasons completely apart from its culinary value. Really, this is one lovely thing about British food, they don't take it too seriously. Here, there is space for play and gourmet. More to follow.

Joi, 

Michaelanne{gelo}

              

The Day Hobbiest Infiltrates Bicycling Culture

Photo Filched from Urban Outfitters 

Sadly, recent events have kept me from pursuing my true passion, day hobbies. I find it very challenging to carve out time for virtual bird watching, an intriguing suggestion from one of my cousins, or water tasting in the midst of moving and starting a new job. My deepest apologies if, in my absence, you have finished the last season of Mad Men on Netflix and have sunken into a state of depression. While I can't make any promises, I might have a daytime activity to restore the life in your eyes. Picture this- cleverly disguised as a hipster, you infiltrate the bicycling culture for an adventure of potentially epic proportions (or at least you could make it seem that way on Facebook). Infiltrating the secret haunts, tasting the cuisine, and experiencing this unique subgroup of the American public. 

While cyclist culture varies from city to city, keeping in mind a few key points would allow you to experience cycling hipsterdom just as easily in Los Angeles as in New York. To point out the elephant in the room, you must first have a bike- I plan on renting one for the day. After that, try to do something unique and you'll fit right in. This could include riding your bike to a farmers market where you procure the fixings for an artisan picnic then heading off to a small, local bookstore to pick up BikeSnob's latest book, The Enlightened Cyclist for the full immersion experience. 

Here are a few resources to help get you started: 

The Bike Snob NYC blog- while far from strictly cycling, the Bike Snob explores the various elements of cycling culture in New York City. 

Urban Outfitters- they have teamed up with Republic Bikes to create an online venue for designing your own bike. 

The Day Hobbyist

Ah! The third week of summer! Not to tout my liberty over my many friends still struggling under the yolk of that heartless slave driver, finals, but I have reached a point in my summer where most truly productive endeavors have already been done. Whilst I slacked in my blogging (my deepest apologies), I have renewed my passport, vacuumed under my bed, finished Downton Abbey, had a family reunion, and even baked three batches of cupcakes! Faced with the threat of a listless existence, wholly dependent on Netflix's availability of tolerable entertainment, I have determined to pick up a hobby! Upon further consideration, however, many hobbies are lifetime or at least summer-consuming pursuits. Consider the classics, like playing guitar, golf, or painting - lifetimes have been absorbed! No, I daresay that a modern student like myself would do well to choose a hobby befitting the fast pace of the modern world, that is, a day-hobby. Such a hobby would not only occupy said student in a pseudo-meaningful way, but would arm them with a plethora of interesting tidbits and witty quips to impress their various followers or mitigate the awkwardness of chitchat.
Hence, over the next few posts, I will be delving into a few day-hobbies which piqued my curiosity.

Water Connoisseur for a day.
Typically, one becomes a connoisseur only after years of dedicating superfluous amounts of time and energy caring about what few people truly care about. Their subject ranges from wine to soda, maple syrup to salt, they have their own language, sense of humor, circle of friends, and style of hat. For instance, your wine connoisseur (or at its height, 'sommelier') would wear a beret, while your maple syrup connoisseur might wear a knit beanie because he is from Vermont. While comprehending all the nuances of wine or breaking into the salt gang of friends is daunting, especially when one is too young to partake in such appreciation, armed with the right terminology and hat one could easily become a connoisseur for a day. I suggest approaching ordinary things, like water or soda, from a new angle. That way, when your date walks in with crisp Fiji waterbottle, you can whip out something like, "Oh, so you're a Fiji person? I find I prefer ethos, for its more balanced feel and superior mineral content." Or something along those lines. I recommend hosting a fine water tasting, inevitably involving a trip to whole foods, to appreciate the finer points of water; be careful, however, to wash water tasting goblets with distilled {pure and flavorless} water so as to keep from tainting future tastings. 
Insightful Resources:
The Water Connoisseur blog 
Fine Waters
Continue reading for further enlightenment on dihydrogen monoxide {H₂O}