Neeps and Tatties. That did not come out of my brain. But I have had them on my brain ever since I first read about them over at The Daily Spud. It seems Neeps and Tatties are a traditional Scotish favorite, though my version is hardly traditional.

I am sure you can guess that the Tatties are taters. Actualy potaters. But Neeps may be new to you. If so I hope the name makes you smile as much as it does me. Especially when said in conjunction with Tatties! Neeps and Tatties. I dare not say where my mind goes when I hear that phrase.

But where my mind should be going is to the Scotish turnip, or what we would call a rutabaga. Because that's what a Neep is. A super huge rutabaga. I used regular old American-sized rutabagas so keep that in mind when reading the recipe. It's a long recipe too so I want to get a move on here. But I do need to say this is another entry in  my week of Meat and Potatoes, or rather my week of Meat and Tatties (with Neeps).

There are a lot of cookbooks out there. Too many of them come from expected sources and feature too many of the same recipes highlighting whatever ingredient du jour is making the Iron Chef circuit.

I tend to skip right past those books when I am choosing a cookbook to bring to you here. That’s because I love the cultural aspects of food and cooking as much as I do the eating! There is so much to learn about other parts of the world and other people’s lives and food is a great avenue towards understanding other cultures.

These are the reasons I was drawn to this book, Nirmala’s Edible Diary. This book is satisfying to me on many levels. It is colorful and simply laid out. There are (almost) enough great photos of interesting dishes and beautiful places to keep me glued to this book for long stretches of reading pleasure.

What makes this book special though is the adventurous spirit that weaves it’s way through the pages. The author herself, Nirmala Narine, personifies that spirit.

For today’s Market Matters at the Hollywood Farmers Market I brought home adorable little mini-sized apples. This is the 5th recipe in my An Apple A Day series and it is an entirely original recipe. I am calling it Pecan Stuffed Tempura Apples.

The thing about making up a recipe and posting it on a blog all in one day is that you have to realize it is a work in progress. I had to make this recipe one apple at a time, changing my method slightly each time until I got something I was happy with.

There may still be room for improvement here and I am open to your suggestions.

Although this recipe was delicious and I am very happy with the flavor combination. I will admit I had some trouble with the texture. My first attempt I stuffed a raw apple then battered and fried it. But the apple did not quite get cooked enough. As I had hoped, the interior stuffing got hot enough so that when I cut into the apple the pecan stuffing oozed out in a very satisfying manner. But there was just too much crunch left in my apple.

I promised a recipe to accompany the Jenkins Jellies applesauce I picked up at Studio Root66 and here it is: Yam and Parsnip Fritters with Spiced Applesauce.

These could be called latkes too. Applesauce and sour cream are traditional accompaniments to latkes so it makes sense. But these felt more fritter-like to me, probably because the yams and parsnips are such a sweet combination. They are also really great foods for this time of year, and I guess I associate fritters with the warmth of hearth and home this time of year. In any case, call them what you like. I think you'll find they are delicious!

I choose these ingredients because I am always looking for new ways to enjoy yams and sweet potatoes. Especially as we are entering the holiday season, so it was not a hard reach to replace the russett potatoes I usually use for a recipe like this with this red skinned fall favorite. The parsnips were a last minute addition. Partly because they were handy and needed to be used today, but also I liked the contrast they provide in both flavor and color.

I don't do a lot of dessert recipes at SippitySup. Especially elaborate, super-sweet desserts. This is partly because I don't really have much of a sweet tooth. But a bigger part is because there are so many bloggers out there doing such a great job with every genre of sweet confection. Just cruise through TasteSpotting, FoodGawker, SavorySights etc. I bet 50% of the photos are desserts. Gorgeous desserts! Stunning examples of amazingly sweet intricacies. I can't touch the talent of those people. So I leave that particular accomplishment to them.

However, just because I don't like super sweet stuff, nor am I an accomplished pastry chef; there is no reason to assume I don't like to either eat or make a lovely dessert every now and again.

Today is an example. I am going to bring you a "Sweet Cornmeal Cake with Blackberries and Cream" (Torta di Farina Gialla). Calling this "sweet" is a bit of a misnomer. Because it's only a bit sweeter than good southern-style cornbread. Which is just perfect to me. The blackberries I am serving with it are especially sweet this time of year. A sugary cake would just cloak their perfection.

I am still trying out classic gin cocktails.

Today it is the Gin Fizz, and its many hybrids. The Gin Fizz is the best-known cocktail in the full Fizz family. It contains gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. It is served in a 6-8 oz highball glass with precisely two ice cubes. That’s right, 2 ice cubes! More ice cubes means we are talking about one of the Gin Fizz offshoots of which I will try and discuss several.

Now the ingredients in a Gin Fizz may bring to mind a Tom Collins. Which is a type of “sparkling lemonade” made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. The confusion is understandable, because the ingredient list is exactly the same. The only difference between the two drinks I can find is proportion and process.

But, if you want to get technical, the original Tom Collins was strictly made with "Old Tom Gin". Which is a sweetened variety of gin. It is properly served in a tapered 10-14 oz glass, with plenty of ice.

...it just means I need time for myself.

It’s a perfect Saturday afternoon.

I live in Los Angeles, one of the most exciting, glamorous cities on the planet.

The options of leisure activities are nearly endless. I could drive to the beach or to the snow in equal amounts of time.

I could shop at world-class boutiques in Beverly Hills.

There are parks, and activities. The bird migration is in full swing. I like my birds.

There is always a food-festival somewhere. Be it Latin flavors in East L.A., or some other event in Little Tokyo, Korea Town, or the traditionally Russian areas of West Hollywood. I could go to my local Buddhist Temple where the sell excellent Thai street food for almost nothing (just remember to take your shoes off when you go inside)!