What's in a Name?

Why Truffles and Pistolettes?

Well, I'm terrible at coming up with names. I agonize over titles. It's the first thing people see. It's the snap judgement people will make about whether or not they want to continue reading. It's pressure.

I wanted to come up with something clever, something that I wouldn't be embarrassed over later. I also didn't want a name that would convey a limited sort of subject.

I'm a Cajun girl and I figured a wholly Cajun name would make people think this was a blog devoted to Cajun food, which it won't be. There will be a ton of Cajun food here, don't get me wrong, but there will be a ton of other things as well -- my food tastes are very eclectic, and I wanted the name of the blog to let people know that. So Truffles and Pistolettes. Something that makes me think of the epitome of classy, expensive food, and something I love from high school football and fair concession stands.

You know that a truffle is a fungus rooted out and sold by the ounce for beaucoup bucks (white truffles cost thousands by the pound). You may not know what a pistolette is, though.

It's a fried little piece of bread heaven. They're football shaped white rolls available throughout south Louisiana. They're not, however, available in Colorado. I've been craving a good pistolette for ages. Cut open and stuffed with etouffee, they make the best hand-held comfort food I've ever tasted.

When I was in high school, I was in marching band. Mandatory football game attendance was required all season and I couldn't stand football. But, there was one school whose concession stand sold these pistolettes and I looked forward to that away game every time it rolled around. By third quarter when we were allowed to leave the stands for our post-march break, the line to this stand would be filled with uniformed teens trying to get up front in time to get a crawfish pistolette before they sold out.

Later, in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, I worked at a restaurant in our mall food court that sold pistolettes. All the pistolettes I could stand to eat! But they also sold baked potatoes topped with etouffee and fried shrimp -- that's a story for another time.

I'll have to search for a good pistolette recipe for this summer. Like I said, they're fried so maybe I'll christen that Fry Daddy with them!

So there you have it. Truffles and Pistolettes.

A Food Blog

So I've decided to add a food blog to my list. This is going to be in addition to my book blog -- I'll still be doing book reviews and stuff there, but I have to admit that I love food just as much as I love books.

I have food issues.

When I originally started playing with this idea, I thought I would actually do a blog about trying to get into shape and change my food habits. I'm bad at dieting. Inevitably I'll do something to screw it up. Last go around, I actually went and bought a Fry Daddy. It's still in the box, but the looming thought of the fried goodness that I could be eating was enough to send me running for the nearest drive through window I could find. So I thought that writing about it in a forum where people could see what I was doing (where I could see what I was doing in black and white and laid out before me) would help keep me in check.

Then I signed up for produce delivery. This is fantastic. I love it. I get a new box of fresh produce delivered to my door every other week. And for the next fourteen days I try to come up with new ways to use the ingredients inside.

Gradually, the idea of the food blog started changing shape. Without a concrete direction to go in with regards to diet or anything else, I've decided to just go for and make it a general food blog. A look inside my kitchen, if you will.

I'll talk about dishes I've made, both successful and not so much. I'll link to and provide recipes. I'll even talk about gadgets and restaurants and anything else food related that I want to write about (and this includes Top Chef and Food Network programming if I choose) .

I'm hoping friends and family will check this out and get inspired to play in the kitchen. I'm also hoping that it will be a learning experience for me as a home cook so that I can improve.

So, Truffles and Pistolettes, a place for me to talk about another one of my passions: cooking and food.