FOOD TIP

Gochujang

We didn't pull into the Asian grocery looking for Gochujang inasmuch as neither one of us had heard of it. And yet  we emerged a few minutes later with a tub of ... Gochujang. It's a Korean hot pepper paste that is dark red in color and has the thick consistency of a sundae topping. I'm sure there are many sophisticated recipes in which Gochujang is a tangential or support ingredient. In the Koster household, however, its primary purpose is to be removed from the refrigerator, opened, and placed on the kitchen counter all evening. That way, with random frequency, my wife Eileen and/or I can wander by, grab a sturdy cracker, run in through the Gochujang as a snack topping, and eat it. It's a sly, instantly attractive flavor, one that wrestles on the tastebuds like a championship bout between sweet and spicy. There's a slight hint of plum, but I've no idea why and it's not listed on the ingredients. It's hard to tell whether the overall sensation is heat or sweetness, so the only way to form a more precise opinion is to keep eating it. A 16-ounce tub runs you about $5.

— Rick Koster

MUSIC TIP

Heart

Soul

Eric Church

Eric Church is an overachiever. Starting in 2017, he decided to go full Springsteen and give three-hour shows. Now, he has released a 24-song work as three smaller albums over the course of a few weeks. You have: “Heart,” “&” and “Soul.” The 6-song ampersand is only available to fan club members, so I can’t weigh in on that, but “Heart” and “Soul” (each with nine songs) are vintage Church — a magic melding of rock and country, with compelling storytelling. My favorite line on all of these tunes is this one from “Heart on Fire”: “Roosevelt Road was too rough for my old truck/Yeah, she'd shake and she'd shimmy like Elvis singin' ‘All Shook Up.’” And here’s to Church’s longtime backup singer/duet partner Joanna Cotton — that roof-raising voice! Cotten is fabulously fierce, and she elevates every song she sings on.

— Kristina Dorsey 

CARD TIP

Topps Project 70 Baseball Cards

With a new baseball season underway, it occured to me: Do kids still collect baseball cards? Frankly, I was having a hard time believing that, in our speedy culture where an 8-year-old can, with a quick flick of a laptop, play incredibly life-like video games, superheroes, hobbits, zombies or product influencers, anyone cares about a rookie card. And yet ... Topp, THE baseball card company, has their new Project 70 series of baseball cards in which 51 different contemporary and hip artists reimagine classic baseball cards in wildly creative ways. I suppose the idea is to attract the Young People — but it's gotta be of interest to any fan, really. Every weekday, three new cards drop ($19.99 each or all three form $49.00) and are available to order for 72 hours. Topps prints only the number of cards ordered — creating instant collectibility! To learn more and see examples, go to www.topps.com.  

— Rick Koster