Austin to Boston Swap Package Arrived

I received my Austin to Boston swap package today. My swap partner, Rachel from the blog and then make soup, sent a package beyond my expectations. I'll run down the contents in a minute, and you can all come back for details on the contents in future posts.

But first, we both sent our packages last Thursday. Rachel sent hers via USPS and it arrived this morning, safe and sound. I sent mine via FedEx ground. It's not there yet. I'm disappointed.

Here is me opening Rachel's package. See the confusion on my face as I try to figure out what the three unlabeled items are. Rachel warned me in an earlier email, "Oh and if any of the items need explanation, email before tasting! Fair warning..." and "that which does not kill us..." I resisted my inner two-year-old's urge to put them into my mouth, and emailed for an explanation.



Finally, the contents:

The unidentified items were kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves and "wild" chili piquin all from Rachel's yard. That's the best. The pecans are from a neighbor's yard.

The packaged goods included Texmati mushroom medley wild rice, Roundrock honey and honey lip balm, Texafrance bluebonnet honey mustard, austiNuts dry roasted pumpkin kernels, Central Market peach salsa, Harriet's Original Texas ranch dressing (with jalapenos), Texas Olive Ranch mesquite olive oil, Full English Food rock buns, and New Canaan Farms Fredricksburg peach jam.

Rachel also included a shopping bag from H-E-B market and a copy of edible Austin magazine. The last item was a supply of business cards for her blog. I'm thrilled with this because I recently made a card for my blog. So now I know I'm not the only one. I had planned to include one in my box, but it fell out of my brain.

Thank you, Rachel. I'm thrilled with my package. I'll be reporting individual items in later blogs. We've already started digging in.

Fromaggio Kitchen has the Best Cheese

If you are in the area and want good cheese, there is no better place than Fromaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. Every time we go in we are overwhelmed with the selection. Thankfully, the staff is amazingly good at helping you find what you like, giving you all the tastings you need. Today we left with half a pyramid of goat cheese, a gooey sheep cheese, and a semi-hard Swiss cow with a crystal-crunch texture.

Beyond cheese, they have an equally amazing selection of pasta, oils, cured meats, wine & beer, honey, chocolates, pastries, fruits and vegetables. They have everything indulgent a foodie might love. Don't miss it.