The Winsor Dark Chocolate Rocky Road Bar is nominally a bar of fluffy marshmallow and whole almonds enrobed in a thick coat of dark Belgium chocolate.
But let's just call it what it really is pure, undiluted, E.V.I.L.
It's a PG-17 Rocky Road bar that makes you throw back your head and Mwa ha ha like Boris Badenof while you gloat and nibble at its sinful perfection. And really, how embarrassing is that.
You can get your block of the Dark Force at Whole Foods where I succumbed during a late night run prior to movie night with friends last weekend. I did a triple take when I first passed its Basket of Temptation but finally found the wherewithall to keep going because I am a most virtuous and saintly girl.
But Shodashi, otherwise known as the Messenger of Satan, told me I had to try one. Since I'm only human and already had a clutch of chocolate (hey, it's all for the blog - I don't even like dark chocolate!) I averted my eyes and had her pick out a picture perfect block to balance atop my already tetering pile and ran for the register.
But now I've eaten a morsel and am addicted. May the Goddess have mercy on my soul.
mmmm...mwa ha ha ha...mmmmm
Along the western wall of the Garden of Rambunctiousness grows our espalliered 6-N-1 apple tree. It only began bearing fruit on 2 of its 6 limbs over the last 2 years and it's still trying to teach me the best time for optimal harvesting.
So for now, I employ my tomato & peach ripeness test to the fruit. To do this, I give the apple a quarter twist of the stem. If it drops off, I figure it's ripe. If not, I leave it for another time. I know I've left a few of the Fujis on a bit too long by using this method but the Galas have come out wonderfully crisp, slightly sweet and counterbalanced with just a touch of tanginess.
As you can see in the picture to the right, they're definitely on the small side but they make the perfect snack and I eat them simply out of hand while wandering about, pulling weeds, throwing snails over the fence and inspecting the rest of the dew splattered garden first thing in the morning.
I ate the mango from Pakistan U's mother gave me while packing up and preparing to leave London this morning.
She said, "Don't stand on ceremony, just eat it." So I took her advice and gave it a try.
Still in my pajamas, I took it into my hotel bathroom. I easily peeled back the skin with my fingers. Oozing juices, its musky fragrance began to fill the room as I started to consume it over the marble sink.
I bit off chunks of sweet flesh, the thin fibres sticking between my teeth and worked my way around the fruit, learning to avoid the less ripe, lighter colored sections, while devouring and sucking the seed to get the last bits of orange sweetness where it was best.
When I was done, I looked up and a wild-haired, wide-eyed, mango-mouthed girl gazed back at me from the mirror.
I had never eaten a mango like that before. I was a convert.
Now pass me the dental floss.
(Entry jotted down on the plane last month.)
Ok, yes. 3.5 months in Blog land qualifies as forever and a day away from my post here. But I've been super busy with work and actually still am. But I have SO MUCH WORK TO DO it just seemed like the perfect time to completely procrastinate and write a short blog entry.
So what have I been up to?
I've taken 2 trips to London in the intervening months, eaten out several times with with friends, family &/or work collegues & all in all continued to make a nuisance of myself everywhere, always taking photos prior to meals, photographing interesting looking food shops, all for the benefit of you, my voracious and demanding reader(s).
So you see I have not forgotten about this blog and will (eventually) get my photos and thoughts posted. As a matter of fact I believe I've perfected the annoying photographer act to a tee, though the disciplined writer is still a work in progress.
Now aren't these good natured chaps handsome? Even more scrumptious was the fresh seafood in the cases behind them. This is Randall & Aubin, a seafood restaurant in London's Soho theatre district. I didn't have a chance to eat here, but I promised the gents I'd return for a platter of briny fresh oysters on my next trip over.
Details.....................
Randall & Aubin
329-331 Fulham Road
London SW10
Tel: 020 7823 3515
We have a 3-N-1 peach tree grafted with 2 types of white peaches and 1 nectarine.
We hardly get any nectarines but always get a good harvest of peaches.
You're supposed to thin the peach crop when they're still very tiny to maximize the nutrients and room on the branch so the peaches will be bigger and better. Unfortunately I wasn't as thorough as I should have been this spring so our little tree is overloaded with fruit.
Still, I can't wait to eat them all!
