I came back from the Camino with a passion to cook. It is a way to give back to those around me and a way to celebrate being together. My Rebecca said,”Who would have thought?” True though and it has given me much satisfaction over the last how many months? Four months I count. Along the way I’ve bumped into a few things that really amazed me. So I choose four of these to talk about today.

The first really great taste that I bumped into happened in a quite planned way. My cooking tended to be in the “Spanish way” from what I remembered from the Camino. It was based on olive oil and baguettes and simple ingredients. I had learned that cooks in Spain used two grades of oil, one for cooking and one for dressing. So in exploring around on the olive oil shelves and reading labels I started learning and I came to the conclusion that I needed to get one really special to see what the good stuff tastes like. So, I bought Lucini (www Lucini.com) brand from Tuscany and fell in love. It’s flavor is of pine, rich in a almost a resin taste. Yea, don’t waste a drop.

Next is a cheese from Norway called Gjetost (www.jarlsberg.com). This stuff is equally dreamy. It is part cow and part goat cheese and is a brown color which could be a turn off if you hadn’t tasted it yet. I’m not even going to discribe the taste but it is great with slices of pear. Slice it really thin and yea, check it out and don’t waste a crumb.

OK, next is a basalmic vinegar made from or with grape must. Must is juice that includes seed and stems. This stuff is thick, pours slowly. It’s an elixir really, just a teaspoon after a meal is dreamy. The label says,”Aceto Balsamico Di Modena, Ritrovo Selections”. Website is: www.ritrovo.com .

The next one is on par with these amazing tastes and it is the blackberry jelly that we make right here at the ranch with our local wild berries. Well, my Rebecca actually makes it but I mostly pick and get all scratched up in the process. And you cannot buy this in any store, you have to come and visit to get it. So do that, will you.

OK, I have a few more chores to do before bed. This was a fun post and hope that you enjoyed it. Wild blackberry loves, Felipe.