Matcha made in heaven, a reason to be bitter and books to get you thinking

Matcha Gelatin The two long forgotten packets of Knox Gelatin from my mom’s pantry beckoned me. Opening the fridge door to have the light shine on cool blocks of refreshment sounded like an afternoon delight. I didn’t have fruit or juice as suggested on the package, then my eye scanned a blue bottle of matcha green tea powder and it was Culinary Thrill Seeking time. I did the one cup hot, one cup cold deal with some powdered tea and honey mixed in. When I set it to chill, Runamok Maple’s Strawberry Rose Infused organic syrup looked to make the perfect “topping.” A drizzle over the formed gelatin presented itself like a very fancy, and pricy, bistro dessert for a few cents a serving. What a “cool” idea. More running amok: Go ahead and be bitter What if you saved a step making a simple syrup and maple came to save the day. Runamok must have a huge Vermont fan base with beautifully packaged and creatively named spread of syrups. It’s not as cold here in Texas, and we gravitate toward frozen ‘ritas. Yet we don’t mind sitting by a fire with friends with a “hint of smokiness.” Try it in a whiskey with the flavor of real orange essence. That’s the Maple Old Fashioned, one of several in their line of cocktail syrups. This bottle will help you elevate both your beverage and your creativity. Our gin friend will love experimenting with the “aroma of citrus atop an elixir of complex aromatics and a subtle maple base.” That’s from adding a dash of Orange Maple from the bitters collection. It’s a “fine addition to vodka and gin, but a particularly good friend to bourbon. The sweetness has a burst of several flavors that will make you ask for the bottle to peruse or ask your host to elaborate. Dried lemon and orange peel, dried juniper berries and angelica root flavor these bitters. Again, www.runamokmaple.com will show you the whole, enticing line. “Whole Person Integrative Eating” You may be consuming “foodish” substances instead of the fresh, real food your body deserves. Ditch the preservatives, slow down and enjoy, authors Deborah Kesten, M.P.H. and Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D., write in this book, offering “A Breakthrough Dietary Lifestyle to Treat the Root Causes of Overeating, Overweight and Obesity.” Easy to read and easy to follow advices includes the “raisin meditation,” where you pause to think the feel and flavor of your food and also appreciate how it got to you. What’s your best meal memory? Probably not a cold bite over the sink or a burger while stuck in traffic. The WPIE method asks us to enjoy food with family, collect relatives’ recipes, experiment with cultural traditions and even include your pets in dining time. Some of us don’t even know how to eat real food so recipes for wild spinach omelet, Thai basil rice, and fig fruit salad can help in a journey that should change us for the better. “Naked Grace” Lucas Kitchen is funny guy, and regrets he found that nekkid lady photo in the mystic woods behind his house. Humor, sincerity and conviction accent this book, subtitled “A Quest for Clarity in a World of Confusion.” Kitchen still looks young, but this story starts when he was a kid in East Texas and wanting to be strong about his religion. It’s a good Easter season read. He takes the question “What do I have to do to be saved?” and sets on a life’s journey to get it answered. If you’ve been involved in teen ministry and music, you’ll be familiar with some of his emotions. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who wakes up ready for more Culinary Thrill Seeking. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com