My friends at D.S. & Durga recently released  a new product, I Don’t Know What, which is something they are calling a “fragrance  enhancer” and because, like you, I am scared of/want to destroy things I don’t understand I did what I do best and bullied David into answering some questions about this new product.

• Hi, David. I Don’t Know What…the fuck this is. Please explain yourself.
• It’s a perfume with no real notes, no heart, no meat. Just the bones that define, round, and enhance any given note, heart, or meat.
• But for real man, is it bullshit?
• Not really. It evolved from how I wear perfume a lot. Grab my fav oils or blends off the wall and fix it with this—instant perfume!
• Is magic involved?
• Always.
• I heard it is part of a conspiracy by Big Fragrance. 
• We’re going it alone for now but I am using some powerful molecules from The Big Guys!!
• Okay, let’s just say for a minuet that I believe you and this is a cool new thing, how can it best be used?
• 1. Apply your favorite oil—Bulgarian Rose Otto? Rare New Zealand Blue Cypress? Vetyver?—spray 1-2 pumps of I Don’t Know What over it. Now your favorite note smells like a well built modern fragrance with your favorite oil.
• 2. Old perfume that you keep but just don’t dig? Needs a refresh. Spray this over it. Now it’s an updated version! Perfumers update classics all of the time.
• 3. Layer it with your regular jam. See what happens.

I since bought a bottle and have been using it and have to say that I am now totally on board and apologize to David (and Kavi) for my aggression. I really like what it does to oils but also think it works great on its own. The D.S. & Durga crew remain The Best.

This Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake from Jessie Sheehan is a beaut. 

I spent the past weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, one of my favorite places. The best thing I ate were the hardshell tacos at Forequarter. They make the shells from scratch, meaning that they nixtamalize the corn, press, and fry them fresh. They are filled with perfectly spiced meat, Hooks cheddar, sour cream, hot sauce, and greens. Everything designed for maximum pleasure. Personally, they really brought a lot of pieces of my life together (namely: Taco Bell, my first true love, and Forequarter, my favorite place) and as a result I now feel like a more whole person.  And at five bucks for two tacos, they are the best deal in town (maybe the best deal in any town?) and certainly cheaper than my therapist. If I lived there would I just eat these for dinner every night? Would I be such a regular that Mel would have them sitting on the bar for me when I arrived? Would there eventually be a brass plaque on “my” bar stool honoring my commitment to these tacos? It all seems very possible.

Also from Madison comes WM Chocolate. One of my new years resolutions is to “get into chocolate”, which as you know has been a challenge for me. A friend in Madison recommended these (he said they were the best he’d ever had) and I genuinely enjoyed the India, Anamalai bar. Bryan likes them all, and he’s the expert. Baby steps.

This blueberry upside down muffin business from Stella Park is really worth making. Obviously I recommend leaving out the lemon zest. It is best warm from the oven. Do it! You are worth it. (And yes, I am on an upside-down kick.)

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Finally, on October 20th and 21st I will be teaching at Granor Farm in beautiful Three Oaks, Michigan. Details are here and here, I hope to see you there. More on this soon.

XO