Trey Givens sent out the Amateur Gourmet Batsignal on his weblog, and of course I had to respond. The issue? Fried Candy Bars. My friends Alex, Travis and JC reported back to me on the fried candy bar phenomenon when they studied overseas at St. Andrews. Apparently, the British invented this concoction to please tourist…

I really like Amanda Hesser and her reviews in The New York Times. Apparently many people don’t. Check out this article.

Tonight I played Sommelier for Josh and Katy, who came over to watch my DVD of “Spellbound.” (Not the fantastic Hitchcock movie, but the fantastic documentary about the National Spelling Bee. I love it!)Josh and Katy sat on the couch with Lauren.”Do you have anything to drink?” asked Katy.”Oh, I’m fine,” I said.”I mean, for…

Since I’ll be leaving Atlanta soon, I think it’s important that I leave behind a legacy of places to eat. Think of the millions of followers who will one day visit the city of my origin–like Avon historians visiting Stratford–without a guide as to where to go, what to do, where to chow down. I…

Look at this pretty bird I saw in a tree today:Its flavor was mild with a tangy undertaste. There was a whiff of blueberry. And the beak offered a delightful crunch. All in all, a hardy complement to my orange scone with personality.

My Nutrition Report Card today would not make my parents–or my nutritionist–very happy. There were carbs, there were fats, there were caffeinated beverages. And in the afternoon, when I was feeling hungered at the 4 o’clock hour, I decided to do what the British do and give myself a tea time. I went to Caribou…

Bruce Cole has a charming piece at his Saute Wednesday site about offal. What is offal? “Offal = viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal often considered inedible by humans.”Bruce waxes lyrical over offal: “I don’t eat out that often, but when I do, I pick my spots. First priority, usually, is offal on the…

Tonight at the Whole Foods sushi counter, I collected my sushi as a bearded man approached.”Excuse me,” said the bearded man to the Asian man behind the counter. “Do. You. Have. Temp. Ura?””I can make some,” said the Asian man. “Can you wait a few minutes?””Si,” said the bearded man.That made me laugh. Because he…

I just finished a fantastic book by New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell called “The Tipping Point.”The premise of the book is that social epidemics have a tipping point, a moment where they go from marginal obscurity to intense popularity. The book uses examples like Hush Puppies, AIDS, and smoking but I think there’s definitely a…

A new General Store, trendy sandwich shop has opened up in the Virginia Highlands. It is called BELLY.Having driven past it several times, I decided to go in today with my digital camera to survey the place.The place is definitely Virginia Highlands chic: ethereal funk music playing; candles burning; spotted light on exposed brick. The…