talk like a pirate day

Ahoy, me hearties!  Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day!  

In honor of the 16th annual ITLAPD, here’s a rum punch recipe that will have you drinking like a pirate, even if you can’t talk like one (and trust me, one often leads t’ another).

the savory & the sweet

The September issue of Bon Appetit magazine has a feature on desserts made with salt or pepper, like Pink Peppercorn Panna Cotta with Macerated Cherries or this Devils Food Cake with Boiled Black Pepper Icing.

As you can probably guess from previous posts, I am a huge fan of salty and sweet desserts.   Also amazing are spicy and sweet, like San Diego local Chuao Chocolatier’s Spicy Maya, with dark chocolate, Pasilla chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.  Readers, how do you like your desserts: savory and sweet, or straight sugary goodness?

seattle: my kind of town

Fearless readers, postings have been slow around A Fine Kettle of Ish lately, I know. For me, summer in San Diego means beautiful weather and all the delights therein: gardening, grilling, late night picnics, cold beer on sunny patios (heck, cold beer on dark patios). In short, “so much to eat, so little time to blog.”

One of the things holding my attention lately was a trip north to Seattle. Home to a city of food and drink enthusiasts, i’s a fantastic destination for anyone passionate about craft beer, local food, and painstakingly researched cocktails. If you haven’t been to Seattle, or haven’t been lately, now’s the time to plan a trip: summer in Seattle offers an occasional respite from the rain and clouds, and non-stop flights from San Diego can be found for around $200.

My whirlwind trip covered all the food and cocktails I could squeeze into three days – here are a few highlights and lowlights:

martini friday!

Readers, I think we can all agree that the very fact that it’s Friday afternoon is a reason to celebrate.  Today, I’m inspired by the wisdom of Ogden Nash and the wit of Nick and Nora Charles to name today Martini Friday!

 

I’ve started the countdown to 5pm and plan on making up a few Black & Bleu Martinis and celebrating the “drink with something in it!”

“A Drink With Something In It”

There is something about a Martini,
A tingle remarkably pleasant;
A yellow, a mellow Martini;
I wish I had one at present.
There is something about a Martini,
Ere the dining and dancing begin,
And to tell you the truth,
It is not the vermouth–
I think that perhaps it’s the gin.

– Ogden Nash