Friends, When they say every cloud has a silver lining, the implication is that clouds are somehow bad. I tend to disagree. Not only do they give us shade and life-giving rain, they also serve as a scenic backdrop for landscape pictures, not to mention the soothing effect of falling rain when you're all snuggled-up. Sure, it can be uncomfortable to walk around in the rain, but why focus on the negatives when there are so many positives. Same goes for donuts. they may not be the healthiest of treats, but they sure do taste good once a week (everything in moderation). Happy Good Friday! Here comes the rain!
Friends, One of my favorite juices in Ecuador is made from a fruit we call tree tomato. If you're thinking V8, you're way off. Tree tomato has the right balance of sweet and tart along with a subtle bouquet that makes it oh so delicious. There's one caveat, I only like it raw. Many restaurants cook the fruit before making the juice. While the process helps increase shelf life and get more juice out of the fruit, it also changes the taste. When I ask whether the juice is raw or cooked, I am often told it is raw, only to find myself drinking disappointment. So, now I ask whether I can have a sip -- which they are usually happy to oblige. It turns out getting the right answer often comes down to asking the right question. I'm sure the wait staff doesn't want to deceive me, they just don't know the answer and hate to sound uninformed. By asking for a sample, I remove the embarrassment from the equation. Now if only they'd let me sample a couple donuts before I p...