Though I’ve been forewarned, nothing prepares me for the pandemonium that is the motorbike in Vietnam – all 1,761,306 (source: here) of them. It’s absolutely indescribable.

I burn my first attempt at making dulce de santol: as in, the stuff is so black, it’s the kind of thing cookbook authors describe as “…beyond rescuing…you might as well throw it out.” And so I do.

Bones have a bad rep. These days, everyone wants their meat skinless, boneless – and I might add, tasteless as well. Bones add flavor to the meat that surrounds them and when that’s done, I’m left with the bones to gnaw on. What could be better?

I wasn’t happy with Karen Young’s Red Velvet Cake. Having tasted a bit of it at the Bakers’ Fair in Rockwell, I remember thinking that she could do better. I’ve probably tasted (and photographed!) everything in her product line (about 30+ items in all) and I’ve come to know what she’s capable of creating. But this cake sitting before me? No.

My good friend, Max (not his real name, upon request), is an avid cook with a keen interest in – shall I say –“alternative” cooking methods.