When that fails to hold together into a bar form, you tweak the amount of fruit.  Then the nuts.  Over and over, until, a nearly-burnt-out food processor later, you have a formula.

Make a bunch, take it with you hiking and voila - great story to tell and a great hunger abater.

Years later, when you are a successful company, after many trying experiments such as proper shelf-life packaging (the tale of how to make a multi-layer wrapper for many months of shelf time is absolutely fascinating, but my Googlyness is failing me today - no link for ya), you, Lara Merriken, get an offer to sell.

Its General Mills knocking at the door.  Do you answer?

To Larabar, the answer was yes.

Good luck, ya’ll - please don’t change too much.

The next time you’re partaking of the lovely creations by Ms. James, make sure you whisper to your waiter,

“…pssst!  How about some foie gras?”

It is not front and center on the menu, but they have it, and oh does she know how to cook it.  I’m getting a craving just writing this - too bad she’s not open for another 19 hours.  Start the countdown!

A flower for my mom’s birthday, crafted with precision out of hot dairy foam by the excellent barista at Ecco Espresso & Gelato in lovely Nob Hill neighborhood in Albuquerque.

I could just have a flower, enjoy it, sip it and be done, of course, though the macchiatto was delicious.  I had to follow it up (short shelf life, ya know…) with some quickly softening and strong like it should be rum raisin gelato.  Sampling about 5 flavors like zabaglione, plum sake, ginger lime from the awesome list of choices, I finally decided on one of my old favorites, though Haagen Dazs does do a really fabulous and strong example of it.  Gelato is just much cleaner in flavor, not heavy or tongue-coating like the cream in ice cream.  I wonder if there’s a rum raisin “light” in the HD line… hmm.

Anyway, I definitely had to drink the espresso first.  Because I have my priorities, of course.  Coffee over gelato?  Actually, yes.  When its done really well, it can blow your mind.  And even if its just good, it is still comforting in a way that cold sweet things just can’t be.

Yesterday, the world and our society lost a cranky old visionary who really wanted us to wake the fuck up and realize how much power was concentrated in the hands of a few while we all just traipsed around in our lives with our gizmos and our lattes.

But that’s not about food.  So the following is, and rest in peace, George Carlin.

Why is there no blue food?

“…and don’t say blueberries, you know they’re purple!”

“Blue cheese?  No, that’s just white cheese with a bunch of MOLD in it!”

Breakfast food salaciousness - is there any more explanation you need?

Ok, a label:  the french-style pancakes at The Grove Cafe & Market in EDo Albuquerque.

Apparently everyone is GETTING community, too - Jennifer James 101 is selling out their Community Table dinners (every Tuesday and Wednesday night) even before they announce the menu.

Trust in your chef is a grand thing - just know that whatever Jennifer and Nellie are going to cook, it will be awesome, no matter what it is.  I love that.

Here’s the email I received this week from them:

Not necessarily “pudding” as in Jell-O brand, but Pudding as in the British word for dessert.

Desserts?  Now we’re talking!  Tonight, as it occurs monthly, is the PUDDING CLUB event at The Old House at Casa Vieja.  I can’t think of many more reasons to embrace your inner sugar fiend and cruise on up the scenic path to the North Valley and have some amazing sweets.

Here are the details - please call ahead!

(If you miss tonight, July’s event is set to be an all chocolate theme.)

New sushi restaurant, that’s why!

It looks good, I’ve heard reports that it is pretty tasty, the interior is lovely, and the have happy hour every day from 4:30-7:30.  Now, how can you beat that?

By having really great quality fish, of course.  I’ll let you know…

Sushi Hana

The “olive tree” part is about as close as I’m gonna get in talking about food today, sorry…

It’s old turning into new, the world flattening, the culture turning… and it makes me very happy.  It made me happy exactly FIVE months ago (check the filename on these photos - January 4th, 2008!) when the Iowa caucus occured and in a fit of jubiliation I took Sharpie to my hands to confer soundless information to anyone around who would look.

It suprised even my significant other, who had not seen me with more than a barest hint of political emotion in many years.  That’s the whole point, I think, to winning the thing in November.

Juxtapose that against my party registration which allowed me to do some strategic voting yesterday, helping to push most unsavory candidates on the Elephant side into their nominations, in order to more concretely ensure Donkey victories later on.

Ok, that and I like Ron Paul.  But I wouldn’t throw away a vote in November for a 3rd party candidate.  I’ve learned my lesson there.  Pragmatics mesh very well with voting, unfortunately for my morals and my conscience.

Yes, I own this shirt. It’s amazing how many people it confuses at first blush - they read the “Meat is Murder” tag and fail to move on to the small subtext, thusly concluding I’m one of those tree-huggin’ types who eat tofu until it begins to peek out from aural orifices.

Would it suprise any of you to realize that showing compassion towards the animal proteins that you eat could be better for those animals’ lives than completely avoiding meat?

It certainly does not shock me, nor did it even phase Rachel Hutton of CityPages in the Twin Cities. She writes of a sheep farmer who takes animal husbandry to it noble end. Even if you can’t be a farmer, go see a slaughter of your favorite meat-producing critter. (If that’s pig, good luck. They are horrific when butchered, to hear Tony Bourdain speak of it.)

And then, at least buy GOOD meat, meat that was raised in known conditions, like on Keller’s farm in Colorado. Keller’s is one of my very favorite stores in town, for good reason - kick butt proteins.