Continuing with our culinary travels, going from Asian-inspired foods to an American who's dubbed himself: "Lord of the Scones!"

He says that only partly in jest. That's because Erik Finnerty and his long-time friend Tony Van Rees are convinced that the time is right for their version of the "scone". "Scones originated in Scotland. It was a Scottish quick bread. What makes a scone a scone is the typical ingredients-flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and then whatever garnish and fruit you put in," says Erik.

Scones make up a small percent of baked goods sold nationally. In the past, they've gotten a bad rap-perceived as dry, crumbly, and short on taste. Says Erik, "This is our secret manufacturing process. It's really a way of doing things that keeps our scones so moist…" After months of experimenting, Erik and Tony perfected their own scone-moist and flavorful-and launched Fat Cat Scones in 2002. Says Erik, "We came up with a better idea of making scones and wanted to do what Noah's did to bagels and Mrs. Fields did to cookies and change the way people used scones."

Their small plant in West Sacramento is in sharp contrast to "big bakers" who stamp out millions of items made by machines. "It's an artisan product. It's definitely a hands-on product," says Erik.

While fresh-baked scones are available on Amtrak and in select bakeries, you'll also find them in the frozen food section of stores like Whole Foods. From freezer to oven, they bake up in 15 minutes and come with a glaze. They can also be used as toppings for fruit cobblers and other desserts.

Sacramento Magazine recently recognized Fat Cat for having the "best scones" in the region. They've even earned praise from Maria Shriver, the First Lady of California. So it looks like the hard work is paying off, and the taste of success is, in a word, sweet: "We're here to take quality product to the people and grow and build this business. We've got a little place here and we're looking to expand and it's an exciting road," says Erik.

For more information on Fat Cat Scones, visit their site at: www.fatcatscones.com