I had the pleasure of enjoying a kolache last weekend during a shift at the newspaper. I guess the presentation editor had a hankering, so she left and returned with a box of assorted fruit Kolaches.
Kolache, eh? When I first heard the word, I imagined a custard-like dessert. Like a flan or something like that.
So here is a box of these little pastry delights, and my editor sends out an e-mail to the newsroom saying she brought some kolaches. Before I could get my paws on them, the multimedia cats were taking their pick and everything was nearly gone. Journalists – of every profession: photographers, reporters, copy editors, designers, etc. – love anything free. So when the goodies arrive – literature, tickets to a local show, kolaches – they don't last long. However, I was able to snag me a piece of a strawberry one, and boy was it good. I enjoyed every minute of its sticky, strawberry, sweetness.
According to the short preview piece that ran in our paper, they are Czech pastries with fruit fillings. I guess they remind me of Danishes, but lighter in texture and oozing with gooey fruit and syrupy, sugar coating. They literally glisten in the light with all the sugar liberally applied.
Well, this weekend, Halletsville is holding its 16th annual Kolache Fest Friday and Saturday. If I can play my cards right, I'll be heading that way after work in the morning after my shift at Denny's. It starts at eight o'clock with a 42 tournament and then the food and regular festivities start at 9. So, I really want to go. The only thing is that I have to go to work at 2 p.m. for the paper and then work at Denny's when I get off. It will be a long few days to come.
But what can I say, the little fat kid in me wants to go and check it out. I also want to learn how to make them. They'll have two demonstrations that day, one at noon and again at 2 p.m. I invited a friend to come with, but he has to be at work by o1 p.m., and I want to stay and see what its like and to photograph the event. I haven't picked up Gretchen (my D80) in a while so I want to get back into the swing of things. I can't have her, or my brain, developing cobwebs where there was once an abundance of activity.
To get back into the habit (of cruising on my board as well), I took my longboard out and I popped Gretchen in my bag and took a cruise around the downtown area. It was chill. I broke a sweat, took some artsy fartsy photographs and I even had some time to read and grub down on a sub. Currently, I'm reading "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, but am hoping to bring it to the killing beds this next week. I want to read more about food. I was thinking about picking up a book from M.F.K. Fisher or Rachel Reichl. Both authors wrote/write about their adventures in the culinary world. Also, one of my good friends, Paul O'Connell, recommended I read anything by Fisher.
My list is growing and I need to get going on it. And by list, I'm talking about list of things to do with my life: read like "Fahrenheit 451" were coming to fruition, capture beautiful things on my camera and share them, get out and cruise (by foot, car, longboard, surf board or snowboard), experience life, and cook and eat well. I'll get there soon enough. I'll get there and when I do, it's going to be awesome.
