Presenting The Faux Gourmet!

The Faux Gourmet has been on hiatus for a while. I began this blog as a creative outlet during law school. After law school, I started other blogs on other topics and no longer needed this as a creative outlet, not to mention my diminishing free time.

But I kept cooking, kept taking food pictures and garden pictures, kept wanting to share the little tidbits of what I'd made. I occasionally did this on my personal blog (to which, I'm sure, people yawned and wondered when I'd post another cat picture). But I started to miss this space. Of all the blogs I have, this format, culled over several dedicated years and incorporating that adorable illustration by Sam Wedelich (see info the left) is by far my favorite.

So I'm back!

Expect short and sweet posts. Less food porn, more recipes and tips. If you want food porn you can look at any of the 5000 million existing food blogs. I don't have good lighting in my apartment and don't have time to style plates. I just want to make something yummy and eat it. If that sounds ok with you, stick around.

Looking forward to being back in touch!

xx

The Faux Gourmet

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    Thursday, October 23, 2008

    Quick Tip: Heaven in Liquid Form

    (Not that liquid form . . . )


    Quick Tip: A reader wrote in with the following comment:

    "I recalled reading your blog entry about your Aunt's homemade caramels (pictured above) and the obsession with salted caramel that followed with dulce de leche ice cream. I just tried the new Starbucks SALTED Caramel Hot Chocolate and it was incredible. Perhaps, one of the best hot chocolates I've even experienced. Home-made hot chocolate on the stove from a box of Hersey's baking chocolate and the hot chocolate made from Mexican Chocolate Oxagon discs
    being the top tier of hot chocolates.

    While I do not necessarily want to promote a large commercial chain known for sub-standard and unoriginal coffee drinks, I have to insist the salted caramel hot chocolate is a must-try! Especially during a late-night study session."


    My first thought: Genius!! As I have made clear many times (e.g. here, and here, and the salty caramels mentioned above), salty caramel is a divine combination.


    I too, bemoan promoting a large commercial chain (even one from Washington) but I know a good idea when I see one. Anyway, I have already raved about Haagen Dazs getting in on the salty caramel trend, with its fluer de sel caramel ice cream, a flavor that turned out to be tasty (but when is Haagen Dazs not?), but a little stingy with the caramel. I figured it wouldn't kill me to try Starbuck's new drink once, for research purposes . . . just so I can give you my review, and to aid me in developing a recipe for the delicacy that doesn't require a trip to Starbucks.

    The verdict: my drink didn't stand up to the expectations. I could barely taste the salty caramel; it was kind of just a hot chocolate. I don't know if this is a reflection of the lack of uniformity at Starbucks, despite their best intentions; my drink was made by a bored and overworked high school kid who was busy leaving drawn shots of espresso unattended and pouring slapdash, foamless steamed milk. Also, I didn't order whipped cream; perhaps the cream is necessary to hold a thick caramely layer on top, highlighting the flavor.

    In any case, I am certain I can do better and when my hot-chocolate drinking research produces a salty-caramel pinnacle, I shall share my findings. A tough job, but someone's gotta do it. Just be thankful you have me.

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