Flavor Buffet: Edition 17
Let's get to the goodies, shall we?
This week's selections are an eclectic mix ranging from an interview with a life-long restaurant server, how to work at a clam shack, a new way to think about your food before you eat, books I need to buy, and a sweet piece all about the foods you find along the shore. On the boardwalk. Not in the ocean, silly. Plus, there's a bonus. Of course! :)
Enjoy!
1. An excellent server at a restaurant is sometimes difficult to find, and more often, is fleeting. A fantastic server is someone who is great at their job and handles every peculiar restaurant-world situation with ease. Not that I try to make it harder for them, but it’s always nice when your server or bartender is genuinely helpful and friendly.
This piece is about a woman who has worked in restaurants for decades and has seen it all. She is stellar at her work and loves it. Terrific, fun read!
2. Pretty sure fried clams are on my mind most of the day, every day, during the summer. But what about working in a clam shack? A supremely busy, lines out the door, clam shack, where the same kids come back season after season to serve fried seafood to the masses. Now that’s a job I find fascinated as well. However, the scent of raw seafood may make me rethink my decision.
Check out this piece to read what it’s like to serve fried clams, and more, all summer long.
3. Now, I haven’t always thought of eating as a “spiritual” experience, but after reading this article, all about a group of nuns who take mealtime extra-seriously, I’m starting to wonder: maybe we should focus more on the origins of the food before us at any given meal, and not just “how fast can I shove this plate of goodness in my mouth?”
I always appreciate how fortunate we all are to have access to delicious dishes, and I would never take that for granted, but let’s take an extra moment to feel really grateful. A great read and quite interesting!
4. Remember when I bought that stack of cookbooks recently? Well, I’m not even close to “done” with any of them, but that doesn’t stop me from creating/adding to my ever-present cookbooks-to-buy list! Here’s a selection of the best summer 2018 cookbooks. Which one(s) will you be ordering?!
5. Have I mentioned I’m a sucker for nostalgia? I am the sappiest and will reminisce for hours about past times, experiences, or anything involving great meals and outdoor settings.
This article, discussing the flavors and memories associated with the Boardwalk in New Jersey, immediately transported me to a stretch of small shops right near a beach I frequent in Maine. Way back in the day (like the 90s) I would buy magazines at that shop to read in the blazing hot sun, then go out for fried scallops (with a major sunburn) at night with my family and call it a day. Ahh, summer...😎
Bonus!
OK, I don't always include recipes in this series, but sometimes I just can't resist. And since my mind is currently focused on cake (omg my birthday is soon!), I had to share this sweet recipe I found for seasonally-appropriate butter cake with raspberries and peaches. How much more summer can you get?! I need to make this cake. And so should you. Or I’ll make it for all of us. How about that?
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mollie
Gluten Free Mollie D | Eat, well.