I adored pop-rocks as a child. Something about their crackly, tingly texture and the rumbling sound they made as they vibrated against my tongue was incredibly addicting, and still is. I'm typing this with a ramekin full of pop rocks and a small spoon at my elbow. I keep dropping small deposits of the pop rocks on my tongue and then taking small sips of my peppermint tea to accentuate the flavor and effect. If you swish the candy and the tea around it's like a party in your mouth. You can actually feel the rocks zooming around in the liquid, bouncing off your tongue and teeth and exploding. I'm having a great time, the sensation makes me giggly and giddy like a happy child. Alex will not be pleased when he sees the amount of candy I've ingested. Something about the effects of a sugar high, I get a little nutty and bouncy and then crash like a ton of bricks. Fortunately he's talking on the phone and he could be on there for hours (only a slight exaggeration), so he may not notice.
Tonight will be quite probably the last tasting menu we do in Colorado. The violet pop rocks will be seen paired with foie gras torchon, yuzu powder and a huckleberry ribbon. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the rest of the menu, but I can guarantee that I'll be happy cooking in the kitchen tonight!
