An announcement

I've often said that the world would be a safer place if I did not drive in it.

Unfortunately, it's just gotten more dangerous.

Maliavale and I are putting together PL8WTCH --- a blog about vanity plates. Please send contributions you've spotted our way.

A spoonful of sugar helps the theology go down

In my Line of Work, I encounter a lot of marketing of consumer goods with a somewhat tenuous tie to religion. Here's a great taste-test of candies with a religious theme --- gotta love the chocolate Om and Biblical Sandy Candy. Maybe you'll get some in your treat bag this All Hallow's Eve!

It was compiled by a panel at beliefnet.com ... perhaps a little redundancy in the URL, but they've got good content, if you're into the Godtalk, or Godstalk, if you're more the polytheistic type.

shocking omission: unidentified delights

I can't believe I went on and on about chocolate and savory things and did not mention that I finally tried the mac & cheese & chocolate at Jack's Bistro! We went on my birthday, which was a Sunday, to take advantage of the $12 entrees-in-the-bar special. The event was doubly sweet because I was not working and we ended it with a short trip to Vaccaro's in O'Donnell Square.

We started the meal with a cheese course, of sorts --- both the aforementioned macaroni and cheese and the fried cheeseburger balls. My assessment? I am a big fan of macaroni, and cheese, and macaroni and cheese, and chocolate, and while all of those ingredients tasted independently good in the dish, I'm not sure they fit together in a deliciously complementary way, like Voltron. The cheeseburger balls are a better choice.

Invasion of giant nuns, thwarted

So after The Sun confirmed on Page 2b that the Giant Nuns were in fact larger than life-size, some not-so-Good Samaritan rats them out to the city's Department of Public Works , according to City Paper! But not before the enormous consecrated women waged havoc on the city, leaving rubble in their wake.

unidentified delights

The Redhead's mom is a sweet, intelligent woman who I enjoy visiting with, especially because the two of us become a unified force in ganging up on the Redhead when the three of us are in close proximity.

She's also funny, because she does not believe that the Redhead checks his mail at his apartment, so she sends gifts and birthday cards to him at my address. I think his aunt and grandmother have the same idea.

But! I received my own little joyous surprise last week, in honor of my own birthday. It was a lovely orange box of chocolates, wrapped up in a giant orange ribbon (did I mention she taught me how to tie gift bows with real ribbons?) and full of interesting sweets.

Tangent: boxes of chocolate are great because I can nurse them in my own anal-retentive, OCD-kind of way, allowing myself only one delectable treat per day for a month of tastiness. Who can eat an entire chocolate bar in one sitting? They are only good for fondue.

Back to the story: Some boxes of chocolates have a map to help you steer of chocolate-covered cherries and others you wish to avoid, but without reference material you just have to take your chances.

Years ago Mz. Loh gave me food-garnishing advice she may have learned from the CIA: it's good to decorate your food with stuff that offers the eater a clue to the contents, like a nut on a rum ball or other nutty cookies, or sprigs of mint on ... something minty.

But that rule did not prepare me for the first chocolate I tried, which was topped with a white crystalline substance I assumed was raw sugar. It turned out to be salt! It tasted salty. The filling was unclear.

Then I saw a post on this blog (wish it had permalink features) about burnt caramel truffles with Hawaiian sea salt and feel like I've gained some insight. (Be sure to read the post before that one, about the chocolate bacon bars at Ma Petite Shoe, Baltimore's shoe and chocolate store).

It took me a little while to support the concept of chocolate-covered savory things (okay, the time it took to devour my first chocolate-covered pretzel). And I completely agree with the explanation on the bacon bar page that pancake syrup on pork products (I prefer sausage) is tasty. But this is not a universal endorsement: I'm not a big fan of Monte Cristo sandwiches and for political reasons I refuse to try the pancake sandwich at the fast-food-place-that-is-not-to-be-named-or-linked-to.

But who knows? I'm only halfway through the box of deliciousness. Perhaps there's a Chorizo one in there somewhere.

putting the numbers in context

This work by Seattle artist Chris Jordan attempts to put American consumption in context ... I like the simple depictions much better than the photomosaic style pieces. But still --- fascinating.

Updated: found via bagsintrees.com.