Whenever I publish an article in a real publication, I link to it in the sidebar. But I’ve noticed that (a) sometimes those links don’t work, and (b) people tend not to notice them. So from now on, I’ll also post about new articles as they come out.

In today’s Seattle Times I’m talking about dolsot bibimbap. Rice, meat, veggies, egg, hot sauce, in a bowl hot enough to kill you. What’s not to like? If you have a gas stove, you can even make it at home. I came up with a simplified version with kimchi, bean sprouts, and bulgogi (Korean barbecued beef), but it’s amenable to all sorts of improvisations.

After scoring a big hit with their Mural of Flavor seasoning, [Penzeys](http://www.penzeys.com/) has introduced two new seasoning blends. Seasoning blends seem to account for more and more of the catalog each issue, just like biscuit and scone mixes have taken over King Arthur Flour. I’m not opposed to seasoning blends, by any means, and I buy Penzeys’ chili powder and Madras curry powder regularly. I guess I don’t buy the other seasoning blends because (a) I wouldn’t know which one to buy, and (b) I’m worried that if the blend I bought was tasty, I’d end up just putting it on everything until I got sick of it and then have to order some other blend. Maybe this is how they get you.

(I am opposed to overpriced scone mix.)

Anyway, back to those new blends. One is a Russian-style blend called Czar Dust Memories. Finish your groaning quickly, because the other one is a Polish-style blend of salt, black and white pepper, sugar, coriander, garlic, mustard, marjoram, mace, and savory. It’s called Kraków Nights.

This has been running through my head all day, to the tune of “Up All Night” by Slaughter:

“KRAKÓW NIGHTS! WARSAW DAYS.”

I can’t wait to see what the nutmeg-smoking spiceheads at Penzeys come up with next.

The other day I was at Bavarian Meats (which features not only meats, but all things Bavarian) buying bacon and ham, and a new Ritter Sport flavor caught my eye. Ritter Sport are those square German chocolate bars available in many delectable varieties such as Knusperkeks, Alpenmilch, and Jogurt.

This new bar was chocolate mousse in dark chocolate. Of course, it wasn’t really mousse. It would be called a truffle bar in any American supermarket. Despite being the kind of chocolate snob most at home with a Valrhona 70 percent bar, I have never met a truffle bar I didn’t like. For that matter, it would be dangerous to leave me alone with a bowl of Lindor balls.

The Ritter mousse bar was pretty much like every other truffle bar I’ve ever tried. Only square. Recommended!

P.S.: Knusperkeks.

Yesterday I headed over to Bellevue to spend a gift certificate at [Porcella](http://www.porcellaurbanmarket.com/). Porcella is the highest of the high-end gourmet delis in the Seattle area, unless there’s another one in a penthouse that requires a golden key to enter. Porcella makes a full line of charcuterie, and they also serve lunch and dinner. I got the mixed salumi plate, with coppa, guanciale, soppressata, bresaola, and duck prosciutto. Everything was good, and it came with unlimited lengths of very good ficelle. For dessert I had a slice of chocolate pavé, a rich chocolate terrine, not too sweet, with perfectly smooth texture. While I ate I read the new magazine 425, a glossy about the Eastside. I think there is a rule in journalism that any jurisdiction wealthy enough to put out its own glossy magazine is too boring for anyone to give a shit.

This left me with a bit of gift certificate left, although not enough for more than a sliver of Porcella’s cured foie gras ($70/lb). Instead I got half a pound of pancetta (it’s great) and two pieces of duck confit.

Duck confit sounds like the sort of thing that should only be written about in a magazine like 425. It’s got duck, it’s got a French word, it just sounds expensive. But it’s not. Duck confit is thrifty. A confit duck leg typically sells for about $5. They’re plenty rich, so one of them makes a satisfying supper. Think of how much you’d spend on a good steak. You can’t screw up reheating the confit, either: just stick it in a 400°F oven for half an hour. You can also use one leg to feed two or three people by making hash.

Or, if you’re really hungry, you can do as we did last night and make the ultimate winter supper. Duck confit, of course. Potatoes roasted in duck fat–the recipe is from Nigella Lawson’s Feast, and it’s also in her earlier book How to Eat. The trick is to parboil the potatoes and then sprinkle them with semolina flour for extra crunch before roasting. And then some smothered savoy cabbage, made with Porcella’s pancetta.

I think I need another nap.