Bob Moore and I met at the January 2016 Specialty Food Show in San Francisco. I felt as excited as a teenager meeting Beyonce as Bob has been one of my heroes for a very long time. While waiting in line one of his employees commented that he really loves to talk with the public. I told him that I would do my best to keep our conversation short but it would be hard given my admiration for him.
Well over a year ago I started noticing ads for meal kit delivery services on Facebook. Hmmm, cool idea but not something I’d use. But the ads kept on coming, with enticing shots of produce and interesting entrees. In retrospect, I’m surprised I didn’t bite sooner, but I love the farmers’ markets, talking with the growers, tasting the fresh produce and deciding what to prepare for the week. And, I do love cooking.
Given all the bad press on the evils of sugar, we know we need to be judicious about our intake, but it’s oh-so-difficult! We’re hard-wired to love it; sweet is the first taste sensation a newborn baby experiences, and for many of us, sweets are downright addictive. Given that we’re constantly reminded to limit our sugar consumption to prevent obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and tooth decay, you can imagine my surprise when my favorite sugar — maple syrup — was recently declared a super food!
This last week I made two cheesecakes, decadent baker that I am, one to celebrate the arrival of a Kenyan farmer, the other for my brother’s birthday. I substituted ginger snaps and pieces of candied ginger for the predictable graham crackers. It gave the cakes a nice sweet bite, both in the crust and then with small pieces of ginger on the top. I doubt I’ll use graham crackers ever again!
Although we Americans and Europeans use ginger mainly in baking, it’s been a culinary mainstay in Asia for at least 5000 years. Apparently it was popular in ancient Rome and then was forgotten about until Marco Polo brought it home to Europe after one of his world-changing expeditions.
