the weather is messing up my program

One of the only ways I'm forced out of a culinary rut is by the changing seasons.

If it were always summer I'm pretty sure I'd be grilling salmon in my shorts, alternating between pinot noir and sauvignon blanc every other day.

If springtime were permanent I'd have a nice mixture of dishes and the excitement of a fresh crop of vegetables and fruits to enjoy.

Unfortunately we seem to be stuck in a never-ending '07-'08 winter cycle in the Pacific Northwest and its got me stuck in a rut that I can't seem to shake...

So what is my winter rut you ask? I'm pretty sure I can break it down into four bullet points:

• My own homemade spicy red sauce
• Big, bold red wines
• Thai food from Pen Thai
• Pagliacci pizza

This is a great rut to be in from a sensory point of view...you've got all the major food groups (spicy, meaty, tomato-y, and wine) but it tends to put me in a "sit on the couch and watch Entourage repeats again" mood

if I'm ever going to fit into my speedo this summer I need the gods to comply with my request to change the freakin season so I can eat some other stuff.

How are you?

Its been some time since my last post. I attribute the gap to a couple things including a hectic lifestyle, some laziness, and a lack of culinary inspiration.
Sometimes I wish I didn't know about great food and drink. Imagine if it were possible to ignore Whole Foods, Pete's Wines, or your favorite sushi joint.

I recall a day not too long ago when my trips to the grocery store involved large packages of mass-produced tortillas, a five pound brick of Tillamook medium cheddar, a massive jar of salsa, and some sort of macro-brew (preferably with a nice can liner to impart that bottled taste.)
Sounds boring, yet to the early 20s Scott this cheezy-spicy-light beer combo was pretty damn good morning, noon, or night!

Somehow along the way I was introduced to new foods...and it didn't happen all at once. It was a gradual transition that led me from the simple, easy to find joy I had at Rosauer's to the hard to find, difficult to pronounce, and wallet-taxing experiences I have at Whole Foods today.
If you're not following what's happened, here is a simple "before and after" chart that should illustrate what used to be a staple in my world to what I'm enjoying today:

Carl Buddig proccesed "ham food" => sliced Safeway Select Turkey => Wine cured Proscuitto

Tillamook "baby loaf" => Irish cheddar => Ridiculous cheese habit

Tap water => bottled water => tap water (I'm not playing that any more unless forced)

Keystone Light => Red Hook => Rosemount Shiraz => Start a food and wine company

Iceberg lettuce=> Romaine => organic baby greens

Grocery store wheat loaf => baguette => kalamata olive bread

White mushrooms=> portabellos=> chantarelles=> morels

I could go on and on, but I think the bottom line is I have (with the help of shrewd grocery marketing gurus) slowly changed my taste across the board. The end results are pretty interesting. I am harder to please, I have to search harder and go to more places for the specific items I'm after, I spend WAY more on the most basic of items, and above all I absolutely love a good meal more than ever.

I hope you're enjoying whatever it is that you're eating today.