Spam and Good Food

Sorry I wasn't here if you came by to visit yesterday.  I simply had nothing much to say, really.  In fact, I didn't even get on the computer from the time I left work on Friday until now--nearly midnight on Saturday.  It was a good little break--I guess we all need that now and then, right?

So, I have to tell you--much as I hate it too, I had to put the word verification back on the comments.  When I DID get on the computer tonight, I found something like 15 comments and only 4 of those were legitimate--the rest were spam.  And that's the way it's been going since I took off word verification so I could read what you had to say about the cost of patterns.  It drives me nuts that people have to spoil things and make it harder and harder for you and I to communicate.  If you have a blog, you're probably familiar with spam, but if you don't, maybe you'd be interested to see what kinds of comments are left by the spammers.  Several are of this nature--they sound like they could almost be real, right?

"Τhanκ уou fοr shaгіng уοur info.
I rеаllу appreciаtе уоur effoгts and Ӏ am ωaіting for your
furtheг write uρs thanκ уou οnсe again.
Also visit my web site: ________"

Then there are these types:

get cheap [URL=http://www.cheap-gucci-bags.us/]cheap gucci bag[/URL] for promotion code MSNQzARe [URL]http://www.cheap-gucci-bags.us/[/URL]

There are a LOT of those.  There are even what appear to be Russian comments:

Сегодня игры в сети становятся все более и более увлекательными, и это неудивительно. Не обязательно растрачивать время на поиск и установку или покупать лицензионный диск с популярной игрой. Намного лучше играть в сетевые игры и быть в курсе популярных новинок мира любителей игр, графики и игровой моды.

That one goes on a few more paragraphs, but probably most of us can't read it anyway, so I didn't copy them here.  Anyway, my mailbox is filled with these types of spam.  Bummer.

On a happier subject, you know, I think, that I've been very interested in shopping at the local farmers' markets, and today I went to the one that sort of got me interested in the first place.  Actually, it was the woman who started organizing the Placer County farmers' markets that got me interested when I saw her speak on a local PBS show and then I bought her cookbook.  Reading what she writes about the food and the recipes made me want to visit the largest of the markets she talks about, so that's what I did today and I found some good stuff--even some foods that I haven't tried before.

One booth specialized in peppers, and I saw a customer scooping up baskets of tiny peppers into a bag.  I came back to that booth a little later and talked with the grower.  These little peppers he was selling are generally mild, and they are cooked in a dry skillet until the skins blister.  After that, they are tossed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and eaten whole as a snack.  I came away with my own little bag--I think I might try these tomorrow.

On one of the cooking channels, there's a show about cheese, and I've seen an episode twice that, among other cheeses, talks about Humboldt Fog and visits the place where it's made.

At the market, I found a cheese stand and what did they have?  A wedge of Humboldt Fog!  Yes, of course I bought it.  I'm looking forward to trying it soon.

I also bought beets, Asian pears, a pomegranate, a few apples, cippolini onions, tomatillos, a couple varieties of potatoes, and some portabella mushrooms.  And probably more than that, but that's what comes to mind.

I found out awhile back that one of the growers has a store in Newcastle, not far from where the market was held, so I stopped there on the way back, and that was really a great place to shop.  Not only did they have all the organic produce that had been available at the market, but they had a lot more local produce as well as a lot of specialty foods.  I'd been looking at a recipe--in the farmers' market book--for a chicken dish that called for pomegranate seeds as well as pomegranate molassas.  Where in the world would I find pomegranate molassas?  Yep, they had it at that store, so that's what I'll be cooking for our Sunday dinner.  Saturday's dinner was also chicken, but that was roasted with tomatillos, jalapenos, and cippolini onions--it was really yummy!  With it I served a salad and mashed potatoes.  Dessert was homemade chocolate cookies served with chocolate pots de creme.  I didn't take a photo, but they looked like this photo I found on the internet--

Except mine had freshly whipped cream and raspberries on top.  It's not often that I make a dessert like this, of course, but it's nice to splurge occasionally.  Good thing I didn't have very much of an appetite earlier in the day!

Now I think I'll roll myself to bed and sleep in.  My Sunday plans involve a little quality time in the Sweat Shop, and hopefully I'll have a little something to show for it by the end of the day.  See you later, alligator!