Tasty Fungus and the Granthams Go to War
A "60 Minutes" segment got truffles trending this week. Although most of my exposure to the fungus variety has been in the form of Trader Joe's truffle infused oil, I can claim to be a big fan of the expensive morsels. Not the most shocking aspect of the segment, but disappointing still the same, was the fact that many truffles in the United States are a less flavorful variety from China, and you probably won't know until your tastebuds are let down after high expectations for the tuber. If I only had some oak trees and climate to cultivate my own.
Photo: ITV
Another trending topic this week was Downton Abbey, as the second season of the popular British series debuted on PBS. The popularity of this show is another highlight for the growing British creativity in the film industry, at a time when many claim that Hollywood is struggling for new ideas. In addition to direct imports of shows like Downton Abbey or Merlin, many of the popular US shows are direct adapatations from British shows (e.g. American Idol, The Office, etc.) What are the British doing to feed this creativity? Is this creativity spilling over into other industries on the isles as well?
Back to the specific show, Downton Abbey, which I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy. The show apparently gained most attention in New England (Massachussetts and New Hampshire specifically). Seems appropriate, doesn't it? I would imagine that quite a few New Hampshire families took a respite from the drama of modern politics to watch the Grantham family cope with the struggles of World War I.
