I do so love the sound and smell of a long, extended rain.
How it sounds against the roof. In the bones of the trees, all wispy branches and no leaves. The change in sound where it hits the skylight, a puddle, the window. The softer light. The clean smell. It's one of my very favorite things, weather-wise.
A quiet evening at home, alone with Russell & the cat. The rain percusses in and out, all through the night and into the day. In the morning, with my coffee, journal and pen, everyone else still asleep - I finally feel calm, clean, and at peace with the turning of the year.
I do so love the sound and smell of a long, extended rain.
Anyone up for a double feature tomorrow?
Kinsey & Sideways, at Stonestown?
Swedish tea ring with plum butter
Hummus with cinnamon-lamb & pine nuts
Calvados & porcini pate
Millennium's tofu spread
Cotswald & Mt. Tam
Rosemary and chipotle roasted nuts
Crab bisque
Butternut squash bisque
Del Papa ravioli with saffron-sausage sauce
The tiniest vegan timpano (hazelnut-sherry orzo; sage carrots; peppered zucchini, and champagne cauliflour inside)
Cream biscuits
Ginormous salad with pistachios, cranberries & blue cheese
Brussells sprouts with bacon
Flourless chocolate cake
Goat cheese cheesecake
Cherry pie
Divinity
And oh - oh the coffee.
Merry Christmas, one and all!
I am so behind on holiday preparations. We managed to get the tree up, and have a lovely festive party. But beyond that? No way are we done shopping. (I have no idea when. None.) No way are we done wrapping what we have. (Early morning/late nights.) No way have I made the treats that go with some of the work-related holiday gifties. (Tomorrow night, for sure. There's a festive celebration there tomorrow anyway.) The bulk of the cards went out yesterday and tonight, but the rest will filter through over the next week or so. (Thank heavens I really consider these new year's cards.)
BUT!
Though I got home late tonight, Russell had a fabulous offering: A Very Scary Solstice. Brilliant. It's just what I needed. (My favorite? The Little Rare Book Room. You'll be hearing it all season. I promise. )
Welcome to the world to two wonderful little boys! I'm so glad you're here.
 Nathan Michael Dodd, I can't wait to meet you on Friday. There's so much to show you and share with you! |
 Raul Deju III, you need to know that your dad's a nut. (But really, the best sort.) I hope you'll come up north to visit soon! |
Comfort is a bowl of penne with green-garlic chantarelle cheese sauce and roasted cauliflower. And a glass of sauvignon blanc.
I think I've just eaten a cookie, here. I'm not sure why I'm so confused about the crumbs on my hand. (A tiny moment of calm before all the wonderful people arrived on Saturday night - photo by Mo.) Such a wonderful evening - our house was full of amazing people, chatting and building and eating and drinking and laughing and trimming our tree. Cheese, pate, Acme bread. Cookies, guinness-spice cake, Carlson-fruitcake, Carol's brownies. Two big pots of spiced hot cider. Small lights on the deck. (They're going to live there all year, I like them so much.) Seratonin. Corset-cartoon-lady. Miskatonic U or Bust. Annika Jane in her red party dress. A tree, full of gorgeous creations. New friends and old, gathering and glowing. Truly, we're blessed to have so many good folks in our lives - and that's the key message I celebrate this holiday season. (That, and cookies. Daniellle, how can you be a grinch about COOKIES?) |
 It's 10pm on a Thursday night. I just realized I've been wearing mismatched socks all day.... |
What I did yesterday:
Made at least 4 pots of coffee.
Turned carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas.
Peeled many, many shallots.
Julienned 3 large bulbs of fennel.
Made a blood-orange gastrique.
Chunked up the largest celeriac I have ever seen. (As big as my head. Seriously.)
Obsessively small-diced potatoes.
Obsessively small-diced honeydew.
Obsessively even-smaller-diced red onion.
Put together a melon salad, with Derrick.
Chopped a few shallots.
Practiced croquembouche II (Variations on Warrior I & Chattaranga involving molten caramel, lots of cream puffs, and a huge metal dunce cap.)
Did a little dance repeatedly after successfully pulling the dunce cap away from the tower o' treats.
Washed, dried & fluffed frisee.
Set out a cheese and fruit plate with Derrick.
Dressed a frisee & black truffle-oil salad (for the proscribed terrine).
Cooked off & plated winter veggies with harissa with Derrick & Tim.
Plated a whole lot of "Steak and Eggs". (Rare & seared sesame-coated ahi, fried potatoes with creme fraiche and wasabi caviar, melon salad, tamarind steak sauce.) I was on tuna & caviar. Fun.
Cooked off haricot verts with clarified butter, shallots, salt & pepper.
Washed a whole lot of dishes.
Much plate mopping and holding during saucing and plating.
Tested deep fried chocolate trufflles as they came out of the oil. (Rough work. Someone's gotta be responsible for ensuring they're molten just under the crust, and cool in the middle. Really.)
Laughed and giggled and sang and joked and talked with good friends in a small kitchen. Participated in feeding 35 people a ton of truly great food. As Tom wrote on the menu this year: "The only true nobility is found through giving food to your friends." -- Anton Carême. Happy Birthday, Tom!
An early morning, so full of anticipation.
For a full day of cooking with some of my favorite people. Celebrating birthdays galore.
For some dear friends, off on a life-changing adventure.
For a Sunday of artmaking with one girlfriend & holiday planning with another.
This is shaping up to be a very good weekend, indeed. (Those who are looking for it? I'm sending you all the mojo I can muster. Good luck and Godspeed. I love you both.)
Thank you SO much, jD & Logan! We love him - he settled right in, as you can see. |
James Marsters shouldn't be allowed to speak without a Brit accent. It's just. plain. wrong. to hear an American voice coming out of his mouth...