Backyard Bowls + Holiday Wine Gifts

Fall is the best season in Santa Barbara, the air is crisp and sparkling, the temperature cool. The prevailing autumn breeze clears away any particles in the air and the specular reflections on water and foliage are sharp and dazzling as shards of glass. The lower arc of the sun backlights waves, sending rays of light that almost blind the eyes with their ferocity. Along with the angular intensity of the light comes a palpable, magnified energy in the atmosphere. One's inhalations become deeper, the air fills the lungs with a sense of well-being and the body is invigorated with the season. Looking up at gulls wheeling above the sand, one is aware of the enormity of space around and overhead, and there is a heightened sense of being alive. I have to be outside, I want to be out on my bike or walking everywhere. One of my favorite forays is to ride along the beach to State Street then up to Backyard Bowls to have one for lunch. If you think healthy food means something tasteless and bran-like, then you must try one of these. Chockful of nutrition, acai is a berry from the Amazon that has the most anti-oxidants of all fruit. Backyard Bowls crush and freeze acai to make a sort of melty sorbet which can be combined with fruit, nuts, granola, peanut butter, etc. My favorite is the Original with a bed of yoghurt with crunchy granola and fresh fruit. Each mouthful is an explosion of fresh goodness. Plus, it's served in a bowl and what can be more primal that eating from a bowl with a spoon? Think of the maternal love in the bowls of cereal you ate when you were a kid, bowls of ice cream (the ultimate comfort food), hot bowls of soup nourishing and warming on a cold day--bowls are the ultimate cultural symbol of nourishment. So to eat a backyard bowl after a ride past the powerful ocean, with the body and senses grateful for the keen celebration of life, is to be completely in the moment of gustatory bliss.
For those of you who are not in Santa Barbara, you can make a version at home. It's not the same, but will give you a small glimpse of how good this can be. The key is to find Sambazon acai sorbet. Fortunately, they have a search feature on their website. Use the best organic fruit you can find and top-quality yoghurt.
This week's Online Grapevine is about holiday gift ideas! Wine club memberships, wine gift baskets and select wines...