This morning we drove out to Capay Fruits and Vegetables, aka Farm Fresh to You, for their Autumn visitors day. We had a great time picking our own organic cherry tomatoes, onions, shallots, and this being October, pumpkins. The photo shows farmer Thaddeus explaining how he grows leeks. The farm is in Capay Valley along Cache Creek, about 2 hours northeast of San Francisco.

Driving home over the Bay Bridge, I looked over towards Alcatraz Island and saw hundreds of sailboats dotting the Bay in the clear, sunny afternoon, like snow-white wildflowers in a field of blue. I had forgotten that this is Fleet Week in San Francisco, but was instantly reminded as I looked up just in time to see the Blue Angels roar over our car in perfect formation, then zoom left towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Another perfect day in the Bay Area.

Michael Pollan has a thought-provoking article on the US political/agricultural complex.

Most American homes include an outdoor grill (usually the iconic Weber kettle grill). Unfortunately, too few weekend grill jockeys understand the essentials of cooking with smoke and fire. I know, because I used to be among the ignorant. Are you? Hint: if you use lighter fluid to start the coals, or slather BBQ sauce on meat before grilling it, or turn it over with a fork, then you are in desperate need of some basic BBQ re-education.

Enter Steven Raichlen, the guru of the grill, the sultan of smoke. His outstanding books have been inspiring me to new heights of BBQ bliss all summer long.

Raichlen's most essential contribution, the one book you absoultely must read, is How to Grill. This beautiful book, with tantalizing full-color photos on every page, will help you master the basics of cooking with fire.

Adventurous grillers should also consider reading The BBQ Bible, in which Raichlen offers 500 tantalizing grill recipes from all over the world, from central Asia to South America. Jerk chicken anyone? How about Turkish shallot kebabs with pomegranate molasses? Fennel-grilled bass flambéed with Pernod? This is not your father's burnt burgers.

Salt: A World History is exactly what it claims to be: a history of salt and its surprisingly profound impact on the world. Author Mark Kurlansky, a former professional chef, has also written well-received books on the culinary histories of oysters on cod. In this lengthy tome we learn more than we ever wanted or needed to about salt and its impact on trade routes, tax policy, geology, language, warfare, and of course culinary history. Wading through these 500 pages, it sometimes seems as if this crystalline compound is the hidden force behind most every historical event that ever occurred---by the end of the book I expected to see salt blamed for the 9/11 attacks.

My favorite chapters are those on the history of salt as a seasoning and preservative for food. These sections are interspersed with recipes for everything from ancient Chinese and Roman fish sauces to Virginia ham to Tabasco. The book is hefty, but Kurlansky's detailed research and engaging prose make it an engrossing and rewarding read.

It's been a struggle to find decent BBQ sauce in the Bay Area. The usual supermarket brands, including Stubb's, Roadhouse, KC Masterpiece, and most Trader Joe's sauces, are too sweet. I prefer a sauce that's not too sweet and that has a nice `kick' (peppery heat) to it. One of my favorites is Arthur Bryant's (Mmmm.... pork lard....), but it's hard to find locally.

I've found two good BBQ sauces, in two different regional styles, that are reasonably priced and easily available in the Bay Area. First is Trader Joe's new All-Natural BBQ Sauce, which is a Kansas City-style (thick and tomatoey) sauce with a nice smoky kick. For Texas-style (thin, tart, and vinegary) sauce, my favorite is Armadillo Willy's Jalapeno recipe, which sells for $3.50 in Armadillo Willy's restaurants. Both of these sauces offer a nice balance of heat and sweetness.

Other local BBQ joints that serve excellent KC-style sauce with a kick are Uncle Frank's and Everett & Jones. Unfortunately, Uncle Frank's is not available in bottles, and Everett & Jones' sauce is ridiculously overpriced at the restaurant.