I adore the color of concord grapes. Their deep violet hue promises a world full of slightly sweet, slightly sour greatness, and they do not disappoint. While the green and red varieties you typically see are always refreshing, I much prefer concords for their stronger flavor. When it comes to fruits, bold taste is king, and as a wise man once said "The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice."
Ragù Bolognese
When I was in elementary school, I used to get free lunch. For those of you who might not know, free lunch was pretty much a big label on your forehead proclaiming "my family is too poor to pay!" I was always so embarrassed and would insist on having my mom pack lunch instead. When my dad finally landed a corporate job and we made too much money for me to freeload off the public school system, I changed my tune and instead wanted to buy lunch every day. No longer did I want my mom to pack "embarrassing" asian lunches since all the kids at school were eating chicken strips or pizza or spaghetti with meat sauce.
I was a pretty dumb and impressionable kid, but weren't we all?
Triple Berry Coffee Cake
So...I don't really drink coffee. I know, I know, you think I'm weird or crazy or both. I'm just more of a tea person okay?? I'll just go...wander off into that corner over there.
Whenever I go to coffee shops I always get iced tea or an italian soda if they make them—peach preferably. And on occasion, if I really feel like treating myself, I'll get a slice of coffee cake.
Poached Seckel Pears
My mom used to make me a Chinese version of poached pears when I would get sick as a child. Well, it was actually more like pear soup. If I remember correctly, she would slice juicy asian pears into strips and cook them in some water and just a little sugar until the whole apartment smelled deliciously fragrant. I would eat the pears, drink the poaching liquid, and even though I don't think it made me physically better, I always felt better after.
The western version of poached pears is much sweeter, but I thought I would split the difference since I'm not a huge sugar fanatic. I also added a cinnamon stick since I love cinnamon, but it would be great with some vanilla bean seeds or a squeeze of lemon as well.