Lately tiny cheeses have been making me happy as an inexpensive and low commitment indulgence. My friend Leslie introduced me to the concept of tiny cheese, which are the smaller odd bits and ends of cheese left over when a grocery store has portioned out and packaged chunks off of a larger wheel. There is usually a small basket of cheese ends tucked in the display case, most for $1 or $2. These tiny cheeses had always been there in grocery stores but for some reason I had never noticed them, so thank you Leslie! Just in case you overlook them too consider this a gentle nudge to have a peek next time you pass them. This past summer the tiny cheeses have provided me with timely moments of fresh mozzarella, queso fresco to accompany a few grilled peppers for dinner, parmesan when I only needed a small portion as I’d be leaving on a trip in a few days. You get the idea, tiny cheeses are great.

This small collection of cheese cost me under $7 and include:

• Long Clawson English Cotswold, which had onions and chives and was sort of like the Everything Bagel of cheese
• Le Chatelain French Brie which was creamy and insanely good
• Cascadia Creamery Raw Sleeping Beauty which is a hard cheese, and very delicious
• Tillamook Pepper Jack, spicy and dependable
• Buenalba Goat Cheese With Paprika, which was my favorite, subtle and colorful

The Very Worst Video Game Ever Made – Gamefilter. Desert Bus is released for iPhone and iPad and Android. Yessss!

The Eye-Fi mobi card is the real deal | A Whole Lotta Nothing.

New study says more adult women play video games than teenage boys · Newswire · The A.V. Club. “Before anyone pins this on Kim Kardashian: Hollywood or whatever, the study also says the average adult woman has played games for 13 years”.

Behind the Scenes at America’s Largest Contiguous Hop Farm | Serious Eats. I had this same learning experience when I attended Hop Academy two years ago.

The Amazing, Original Green Building Is Soon to Be Vacated by the Original Timber Company | Slog. You can see this building while driving on I-5 and it’s amazing even from a distance.

The Heron and the Snake | BirdNote. This was a very unusual Bird Note, and basically the audio version of that Never Give Up frog vs. heron poster.

Part 1: I cheated on my girlfriend of 8 months. At Do You Think You’re Pretty? the blog of Emily V. Gordon who I hereby nominate as the best councilor for us all. Between telling this guy what he needs to hear I also love this: “No love, no matter how great or small, benefits from being overly romanticized. It makes us forget that we’re actually just two people who decided they dug each other.”

Everyone In Hollywood Has This Hairstyle at Refinery 29. Next time I head to get my haircut I’m just going to pull a bunch of these images as examples for what I want.

XOXO 2014:

A tiny gathering of artists has become the most interesting weekend in tech | The Verge.

The narrative lottery at XOXO – Boing Boing.

The XOXO Festival and the fierce urgency of nice — The Message — Medium.

The Glorious Vegetables of Italy by Domenica Marchetti – A Book Review – Adri Barr Crocetti. She includes the recipe for Carrot-Ricotta Ravioli with Herbed Butter which looks amazing.

One-Pot Wonders: Cold Soba Noodles With Kale, Avocado, and Miso-Sesame Dressing | Serious Eats.

The Food Lab: The Road To Better Risotto | Serious Eats. I’m not unhappy with my recent risotto experience but it’s worth trying this to compare. Because science.

The Food Lab: Use the Oven to Make the Best Darned Italian American Red Sauce You’ve Ever Tasted | Serious Eats. See also: Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce in 40 Minutes or Less | Serious Eats : Recipes.

BBC News – Wasabi: Why invest in ‘the hardest plant to grow’? This might explain how I recently came across fresh wasabi at the Granville Market in Vancouver, BC.

I’m looking for real life food mysteries. Where would I find them? | Ask MetaFilter. The answers here point to lots of great stuff to read.

Hitchhiker’s Guide | The Planning Committee. What it looks like from the tallest peak in Wales, I’m adding this to my list of stuff to do when we go back.

Chef Jonathon Sawyer’s Guide to Eating in Cleveland | Serious Eats. I grew up in Cleveland but it’s changed so much that next time we return for a visit it’ll be like discovering a new city.

Anthony Bourdain How to Travel – Anthony Bourdain on How to Fly – Esquire. Via Kottke.

Italy 2014 – August 25th to September 4th. At Other Hand, some great suggestions for markets, gelato and lesser known spots to visit.

DIG IT | Getting Lost Inside The Elizabethan Hedge Labyrinth Out At VanDusen Gardens : Scout Magazine. I’m going to make it to this Vancouver, BC hedge maze soon.