The Yum Yum Factor

Francisco de Melo Palheta: The James Bond of Coffee Beans    In 1727, a Portuguese army officer named Francisco de Melo Palheta pulled off what might be history’s smoothest—and steamiest—coffee heist. On paper, he was just a guy bringing coffee to Brazil. In reality, his mission was an audacious cocktail of espionage, seduction, and agricultural ambition. Espionage, Flirtation, and a Side of Coffee The story goes that Palheta was sent to French Guiana with a task: get his hands on their coffee seedlings, a prized and closely guarded secret at the time. But the French weren’t exactly handing out coffee cuttings like party favours. So, what’s a clever Portuguese officer to do? Enter: the governor’s wife. Palheta cozied up to the lady in question using charm and a dash of daring.  She fell under his spell, whether it was his military swagger, his smooth-talking skills, or perhaps an irresistible  wink . And when it was time for him to leave, she slipped him a farewell g...

The last time I posted on my blog was 2021, but it's time to revive The Yum Yum Factor. We all need a break from things that once took time and headspace. I am in a different place than during the decade I posted regularly, but I am ready to get back to writing here. Even if it's only for me to document my adventures, so be it. Back then, I mainly wrote recipes, with some travel and Toronto food-centred content thrown in for good measure.  Where the hell have I been? I have been cooking in a professional kitchen since about 2018, which has changed my relationship with the food world. You spend your life fantasizing about being a real chef, and then when it happens, it's never what you thought it would be. There is a world of difference between spending days in my kitchen, cooking whatever I want in my PJs and working in a catering kitchen. I have learned more in the last 6 years than in the previous 300 years of my life. I travelled with my sister in 2018/2019 (the first ti...