September 29, 2007
C&Z turns 4!
I have to admit that the C&Z anniversary takes me by surprise each fall: I was drifting off to dreamland a few nights ago when I was seized by the sudden worry that I had let the day slide by unnoticed. I jumped out of bed, checked the calendar -- all right, four more days to go -- and resumed my dozing activities.
It's not that the world would self-pulverize if I forgot, but it has become a tradition of mine to take this anniversary as an opp...
September 24, 2007
Glace Coco du Placard
[Coconut Ice Cream from the Pantry]
The really nice thing when you come back from a vacation, however lovely, is the fresh set of eyes you can lay on your living quarters, and all the things that make them homey and yours.
Your bed, not too firm but not flabby either, and wide enough that two normal-size individuals can stretch their legs without starting a war. Your shower handle, and its nifty flow modes that you can fiddle with to match yo...
"Glace Coco du Placard" continues »
September 17, 2007
Mon Laguiole
[Laguiole Pocket Knife]
All right, I'm back! Technically, I have been back from my vacation for ten days, but as soon as I returned, I left again to be a witness at the wedding of two of my favorite people in the world, an honor and a duty that I took very seriously, although they ended up requiring very little work from me -- the purchase of a pretty dress, the signing of a registry, and, at one point, the making of a salad dressing.
No soon...
September 10, 2007
Quetsche Plum Tart with Walnut Cream
I love plums. I love that they are small and that you can rinse a few of them at a time, whirling them in your hand like Baoding balls. I love that they come in sundry shapes and colors to match your outfit, I love that they have a pit that you can spit out into the sink, and I love that they grow on trees under which you can stand, look up, and feel like all is right in the world. I love even the name, plum, how it rolls off the tip of your to...
"Quetsche Plum Tart with Walnut Cream" continues »
September 4, 2007
Elbow Macaroni with Comté Cheese and Baby Spinach
[Coquillettes au Comté et Pousses d'Epinard]
A lot can be learned about your cooking self by considering what you eat when you're on your own. I have friends who are simply not hungry when they're alone, who forget to eat (say what?), who don't consider it a real meal if there's no dining companion, or -- and I am not making this up -- who just eat a Kinder Surprise, build the little toy and call it dinner.
What's most surprising to me is th...
"Elbow Macaroni with Comté Cheese and Baby Spinach" continues »