The great poet Boris Pasternak once said that “surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” Well my friends that may be true, but life can bring us unwanted surprises too.
Several years ago, while TastingBuds Peter and Jon were sipping on after work beers, an unexpected visitor… well… plopped out to greet them.
Click on through to read more about our unwanted dinner guest
As the Tasting Bud who claims not to cook, I surprised everyone last Thanksgiving when I volunteered to bring a side dish to the feast. We were expecting more than 30 family members and friends, so I had to come up with something good. I thought about three of the essential food groups: carbs, cheese, and bacon. You really can’t go wrong with that combination, so I opted to make macaroni and cheese. I can, however, tell you a little about my process.
Every spring, I look forward to the new batch of rosés. The gang and I like to try different ones early in the season and then pick our favorites, which will become our wines for the summer. After a highly successful shopping expedition, we happily discussed which snack options would go best with our wine. The first wine we decided try was the 2008 Chateau Valcombe Cote du Ventoux Rosé, so we a bottle of it out to chill.
A short while later, we had assembled an array of snacks on the table out on my brother’s shaded deck. It was a beautiful afternoon in Austin: the sun shining, a slight breeze blowing. The tinny music floating outside from the old kitchen radio was perfectly complimented by the cacophony of birdie happy hour which had commenced at the feeder in the backyard.
Can durian fruit really be so bad, that they are banned from the Singapore Metro?
There isn’t even a fine associated with it.
Update: Turns out durian does not smell all that great.
Update 2: Cracking one open in your house isn’t such a great idea.
Update 3: I don’t care for durian.
Update 4: Neither of my dogs care for durian.
Update 5: My wife has forever banned durian from the house.
-Jon