2007-03-04

I've been looking for this ingredient, oh, for about two months now. Ever since Glenn May at the Kennedyville Inn recommended it as a glaze for roasted meats. And just somehow, I didn't want to go online to order. But in a simple chat with a young woman who described herself as "Persian," the talk turned to food, and lo and behold, a Middle Eastern market  was not ten minutes away from us, where we were attending to business in Rockville. Now I have my pomegranate molasses — which is pomegranate juice reduced to a thick, thick syrup. A simple reminder that in food, there is always common ground. And adventure. 

Okay, not a local product, but it's definitely Skeeter-worthy. Check out The Beer Belly, and its companion product, The Wine Rack. Pays for itself in a single baseball game or wrestling event. The only problem is that the people I know who would want one, already have one. One visit and you'll see what I  mean.

It's an interesting mindbending multi-task; to read Bob Woodward's State of Denial and The Cheese Primer concurrently. Moral: Some things get better with time. Some things do not. And everything has its window.

So anyway, brushing up and branching out in cheeses, and Cowgirl Creamery from San Francisco, now in DC, is at the forefront. Our local artisans are proud to be in their company. Some time had passed since my last taste of Mt. Tam and then happily saw it in the cheese display at the local Whole Foods. 

Wow. Just wow. Triple creme, organic, individual cheeses,with a soft white bloom, and a better-than-brie richness. Maybe 10 oz or so for $10. Went over big when I brought it in for a tasting at work, even though it took every shred of kindness in me to share. (Really, you don't know.) Try it if you can. Do it when you don't have to share.