Back to normal

Had a great 3-day weekend. Igor and I are finally not so sick, and we actually had food in the house. I made a delicious Carbonnade a la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and Onion Stew), which was perfect for the ultra-cold weather on Sunday. The Belgian beer I bought for it was perfect, much better than Guinness. And on Saturday and Monday, Igor and I made yummy deep dish pizza with chicken, mushrooms, fontina, and sage. Both recipes are from Cook's Illustrated, of course. I also made a yummy rice pudding. So, not only do I have time to try out my Cook's Illustrated recipes, but also the recipes I received at my bridal shower!

Nearly done with the EZ baby surprise jacket. Praying that I don't run out of yarn beforehand. And still reading Grossman's translation of Don Quixote. I try for a chapter a day, which may be how it was meant to be read. When I finish reading it (in 6 months?), I'll pick up Stephen Mitchell's rendition of Gilgamesh since I love his rendition of Rilke. Perhaps by then the book will be in paperback - a bookclub suggestion?

Finally, I picked up the current issue of Saveur, with its annual list of 100 things that make the food world better. Based on the list, two more books have been added to my "Get from Library" list: The Unprejudiced Palate by Angelo Pellegrini and Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. The latter book seems to be out of print, but is considered to be one of the best cookbooks of all time in England, based on this list. Say what you will about English cooking, but I still hanker for the bread I ate while in Oxford!