A Vanilla Bean Convert

Here's my epiphany for the season: vanilla beans are marvelous. I know, I'm 31 years old and love to cook, but I had never, ever used a real vanilla bean. (If it's any excuse, I don't bake much.) "They're too expensive," I thought. "If vanilla extract works for my mother and grandmother, then vanilla extract is fine." Plus I wasn't quite sure how to get the innards out of the bean. If a recipe called for a vanilla bean, I just substituted extract.

But since Tara gave us a gorgeous spice assortment, including vanilla beans, for our wedding, I had no excuse not to try them out! So as I picked out a recipe to serve for Christmas Eve dessert tonight--Epicurious' Ginger Creme Brulee (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/100487 --I decided that I'd break out the vanilla bean as the recipe ordered.

Oh my.

I have seen the light.

I have never licked the bowl the way I did today!

How amazing that such rich, warm, sexy flavor is hiding in that creepy, brown, withered, cut-off flower part. I now regret the previous 30 years spent without vanilla beans! I even regretted washing out the pot today and watching the last few fragrant flecks swirl down the drain.