Live in New Mexico so green chile roasting outside is tops. Love the fragrance of spices blooming in hot oil, onions, garlic and tomato frying in olive oil, freshly ground coffee, chicken slathered in herbs d'Provence roasting in the oven, bread of any type baking away and the smell of marmalade bubbling on the stove. Oops, forgot to mention the scent of mangoes, ripe pineapple, and black dried chiles searing over a flame.

I make the same as many other folks, too many jams, pickles, chiles, chutneys, etc, but a condiment that I could not do without is sweet pickle relish. I use it in tuna salad, to make thousand island, tartar sauce, on burgers or dogs...not too sweet, crisp and clean tasting. I can a case of it every year and always have it on hand.

Even as a kid my favorite birthday cake always came from an old Japanese bakery in Los Angeles, called Grace's. It was two layers of dark chocolate cake, rum soaked and with a thin layer of pineapple filling and I even as a kid I knew it was a very special treat. I cannot say that I have had such a wonderful cake as that. Bakery is long gone but not the memory of it.

Don't know where you might find one in Chicago but my mother always would season a new molcajete by grinding rice in it. As we started grinding the first batch of rice, it would turn a pale grey when spilled out onto a sheet of paper. Each subsequent batch would be whiter till the final one where there was no trace of stone. I have my mother's oldest molcajete and the inside is quite smooth, in contrast to the rough exterior. One tip I might pass would be to look for one that does not stand too tall. Lower center of gravity is good when you are using it. Also, a silicone pad for it to rest on and save your counter top.

If it is a little icy due to the water content of the fruit (and balsamic), would roasting the strawberries (instead of cooking in a pan) or adding a little booze (I'm thinking framboise) help to keep it creamier?