UnRecipe: Brock's Burgers and a Valentine's Day Redux

I know, it's not Valentine's Day. It's not even February anymore! But I don't care, I felt the need to share a post that perfectly illustrates how food and daily life are perfectly entwined, and that the date shouldn't matter -- we shouldn't require excuses to have special meals. What we eat isn't just fuel, it's a way of expressing our appreciation for others when we dine on something special or make someone their favorite dish -- it's a personal way to celebrate a loved one. Ironic that it's a priority on one of the most impersonal/faux-emotion day of the year: Valentine's Day.

Babe, this burger's for you - from the wonderfully amusing series, Bob's Burgers (no, not Brock's Burgers)

Mixed Plate: Happy Brocktoberfest!

Oktoberfest is upon us... even though in Munich, it's typically celebrated in September. Confused yet? The first celebration in Bavaria was to mark the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig in 1810, on October 12th, and there was much prolonged merriment that followed. The creeping start time that eventually pushed this festival a month earlier was more out of choosing more favorable weather conditions than strict tradition. Either that or Bavarians are the ultimate Pre-Func drinkers.  Oktoberfest has also come to represent the end of summer, the harvest, and yes, there's beer, but it's typically made with ingredients gathered months earlier, since beer needs some time to ferment. We celebrate Oktoberfest in our own way, sort of a celebration within a celebration (Celebration Inception!), typically heralded by the harvesting of our own beer hops, lovingly fussed-over by the Mister, so I dedicate this post to Brock -- Happy Brocktoberfest!

It's Oktoberfest - let's eat and drink all our carbs! - Photo by Wasabi Prime