Flavors

Food has been one of my lifelong obsessions. When I eat something that I really like, I turn into a little kid again. I bounce, I grunt and moan in pleasure... I may even let out a few choice expletives.

There's something indulgent about food that is rich in flavor and history from far-off lands. My appreciation for the present-day luxury of having readily available what was once exotic resonates whenever I eat the rich, spice-infused curries of India. Saffron and toasted cumin rice, chicken Makhani, coriander curry... sublime.

I have a friend who is allergic to fruit and I think that's so sad. I couldn't imagine a life without my beautiful white peaches from farm stands, sun-ripened strawberries, the ever ambrosial mango... the unattainable fresh mangosteen, and the near-impossible to find white cherry.

I enjoy anything nutty. Almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and pine nuts are my favorite. My childhood romance with peanut butter grew into a full-fledged passion for almond croissants, pignoli cookies, toffee... the list goes on. Chestnut Pocky is my food obsession du jour--nutty with a hint of butterscotch on a wispy cracker. The fact that they are individually packaged makes them that much more appealing to me. I just found these cute cute cutely packaged asian-style nut/bean cracker mix--love.

I have a deep seated appreciation for what is fresh and in-season.
There's a little gem near Georgetown called Dolcezza. Good gracious! Argentine gelato in flavors of such high quality ingredients like Valrhona... or seasonal fruits for the sorbetto (Sicilian blood orange, plum, white peach) and this is one place where nothing seems to taste artificial. I was so impressed with their plum, which gave the same puckering effect as its most natural form. My favorite so far is the honey citrus avocado... smooth, light, sweet and refreshing. Lemon basil is an awakening flavor kick.

Liberty Orchards' fruit delights are a fruity rendition of Lokum, or Turkish delight of Narnia notoriety. I first tried the Applets and Cotlets from a small stand at a Sam's club around the holidays and ever since, every holiday season, I go to wherever they're available and stock up on however much I can get my hands on. These are so delicious. Stickier and more solid than the typical fruit jellies out there, with crunchy nuts inside... like a nutty caramel, but less sickly sweet because of the slight tart hint of fruit. Beautifully luscious--these are my favorite candies.

Sweet vegetables also make me very very happy. I love the sweet potato cake slices readily available in Seoul bakeries. Sweet potatoes are big among Koreans. They even put rings of it on their pizza... and I really do wish America would hop on that train--good stuff. Roasted, with kimchee... the spicy sweet combination is one of my favorite things to eat during the winter. In the warmer months, I do love my sweet corn, steamed without butter. I like the slight milky flavor they conjure up on their own... so mildly sweet.

Almost all food that comes from the sea is something I really appreciate. I don't know if it's because of my love for the sea, but there's just something about seafood that leaves me with a pleasant sense of longing. Shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters, sushi, mackerel, salmon, toro... the lesser experienced live squid, octopus, urchin, abalone (oh my geez... abalone jook), conch... sigh.

Out of choice proteins, after seafood, there's duck. So rich and flavorful... I don't think I've ever had bad duck. Which I couldn't say about all the other kinds of meat out there.