I’ve had so much on my plate lately (work, Masters prep, my
parents’ 50th anniversary party, spring break) that I’ve fallen off the
culinary bandwagon; as a result, there have been too many quick meals, too many
trips to the grocery store without a list, and all too little forethought, imagination,
and creativity in the kitchen. Sadly, it’s been a while since I’ve …
-tried a new
recipe
-cooked
something that took longer than 30 minutes to prepare
-made
homemade bread, pasta, ice cream, sorbet, or pasta sauce
-planned a
week’s worth of meals
-organized
my grocery lists
-shopped at
a Farmer’s Market
And I’ve missed doing all those things. Planning meals,
cooking, and setting a table that invites people to linger is a creative
process for me; it’s what I like to do and it is how I give. But now, with the boys coming home from
college and schedules winding down, I have plans to …
-buy organic
lemons -- lemon peels for limoncello and lemons for sorbet
-make
homemade ice cream for the boys (several flavors)
-pull out my
“recipes to try” file and … try new recipes
-update my
recipe binder (file, purge, add recipes)
-cook homemade pizza on the grill
-keep a
fruit salad and a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator at all times
-dine al
fresco at least once a day (even if it’s just a cappuccino on the back deck in the morning, or a glass of wine on the patio in the evening)
-eat out: that is, make grilled
panini, pack them in a basket with some bottles of San Pellegrino, and … picnic for dinner!
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| During the summer, I make one of these every 2-3 days |
There are also some cookbooks I want to read. I like to collect Italian cookbooks, and I especially like the ones which feature great photography and regional recipes with historical background on each dish. My most recent addition is the Vatican Cookbook which I ordered solely because it’s published by the Pontifical Swiss Guard and I have a thing for the Swiss Guards (all of them). Of course, as you can see from the photo, not all my cookbooks are Italian. I look forward to reading, for example, Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Easy (I know she gets a lot of grief, but I fundamentally agree with her approach to food that is not only healthy and simple, but also contributes to a feeling of wholeness).
And there you have it. If you need me, or want a cappuccino or a slice of homemade pizza, you know where to find me.
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| "One of the very nicest things about life
is the way we must regularly stop whatever
it is we are doing and devote our
attention to eating."
-Luciano Pavarotti, opera singer
|
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