It’s the end of another month and that means it’s time to share some of my favorite things from the past 4 weeks. My four favorites posts are where I tell you about a brand, book, blog and break that made the month a little brighter. This time around you get a peek at my very favorite seasoning, a new food-focused memoir, a spicy blog and why you should celebrate our great National Parks!
Brand
As I was trying to figure out what to feature this month, it hit me mid sprinkle when I was putting the finishing touches on a Caprese salad. I promise that I’m not trying to purposely devote the brands of my Four Favorites to products from Kentucky, but I’m also not quite sure why I haven’t shared this salt with you before. I LOVE this bourbon smoked sea salt. This isn’t one of those ingredients that was sent to me for review. I discovered it about 5 years ago while we were living in Kentucky and I’ve had a desperate need to keep it in my pantry ever since.
It’s made by Bourbon Barrel Foods out of Louisville, and you can order it online. I was actually out of it for the past 4 months or so. A friend from Kentucky came to visit last month and when she asked me if I wanted her to bring me anything, this was it. So now I’m well-stocked again, just in time for summer vegetables. The salt has a wonderful smoky flavor with a touch of sweetness from bourbon. I use it on everything – tomato salads, greens, pasta, fish. A few grains are also tasty with a chunk of dark chocolate. I just used it in my first dessert this week and I’ll be sharing that recipe with you soon!
If you are looking for something to perk up healthy foods this salt will do it. They also have lots of other interesting ingredients on the website. I know a lot of people who love their soy sauce that has been aged in bourbon barrels, but I haven’t tried that yet.
Book
Memoirs are my favorite types of non-fiction books to read and when they are related to food and cooking, all the better. I received a review copy of My Fat Dad: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Family with Recipes a few weeks back. I’m not quite finished with it, but I’ve read enough to know that you should add it to your summer reading list. It’s written by Dawn Lerman, a nutritionist and contributor to the New York Times Well Blog.
Her father wrote well-known ad slogans like, “Leggo My Eggo.” If your youth was touched by food and a diet mentality, you will relate to this book. I was hooked in by just the first few pages when Dawn shares about all the diets that would circulate through their kitchen and dictate their every meal.
To top it off, she shares many of her grandmother’s favorite traditional Jewish recipes as well as healthier interpretations. I’m looking forward to trying her flourless peanut butter blondies!
Blog
My favorite new read this month is Food Fashion Party. Asha shares so many beautiful recipes with a modern use of Indian spices. The images are inspiring. And do not miss her desserts. In fact, you should head over there now and check out her Pineapple-Almond-Coconut Honey Syrup Cake. It is stunning!
Break
I’m very, very slowly creating a regular posting schedule for The 3 Star Traveler. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s the travel blog that I transitioned my expat blog into back in 2009. I’ve decided that one thing missing from my writing is travel that isn’t necessarily related to food. I have lots of posts to catch up on, but I’m getting there.
Last week was National Parks Week and if there is one thing we have explored more of in the past couple years, it’s our National Parks. I’m not sure why my love of them didn’t grow until my 30s, but now I can’t get enough. Last week, I shared a few of our favorite parks along with some camping and hiking tips to help plan your trip.
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Disclosure: The book featured in this post was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.
