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This morning's first lesson: unadulterated almond extract in hot milk is nasty. Like, rinse-the-burning-off-my-tongue-NOW nasty. Guess I'll be making almond syrup before my next try.
Last night, the BYM and I finally opened the bottle of Epineuil Burgundy we'd picked up in Paris over a year ago (November 2011). We'd intended to drink it in our hotel room or by the Seine, but didn't get around to that, so it came back with us. It tasted lighter than I expected, but it was fine -- and it was nice to be reminded of our walks around St.-Germain-des-Prés. For dinner, I broiled two steaks with strips of red bell pepper, and made cream of cauliflower soup. Later, I baked a pan of gingerbread.
I joke a lot about my camera being my external brain, but there's a lot about last year I wouldn't remember without the help of my albums, including what I was cooking:
(salmon-potato gateau, tatsoi, and bubbly, New Year's Eve, 2011)
I didn't bother with pictures during this year's celebration -- sometimes wielding a camera keeps me from being fully present, and mine doesn't have a working flash, so evening pics tend to be more miss than hit. Also, I found myself feeling both annoyed and pitying at Chickie Wah Wah's, at certain audience members who seemed far more keen on getting snapshots/video than paying attention to the music (that they were shouldering their way to the front and being in my way colored my attitude, of course. Although it was fun seeing Deacon John play to the lens, and I had a great view of DJ and the other soloists' reflections in a side mirror).
Anyway, for New Year's Eve dinner, I helped Saz out with shelling/deveining shrimp, dicing peppers, and slicing pears, and for brunch the following day we went to Elizabeth's. I could have done with far less sweet pepper jelly on my chicken livers, but it was a beauty of a morning nonetheless.
As is today -- it's chillier up here, but the sun's out, and I'm about to pour myself a cup of coffee, put away yesterday's dishes, and get to work.
Last night, the BYM and I finally opened the bottle of Epineuil Burgundy we'd picked up in Paris over a year ago (November 2011). We'd intended to drink it in our hotel room or by the Seine, but didn't get around to that, so it came back with us. It tasted lighter than I expected, but it was fine -- and it was nice to be reminded of our walks around St.-Germain-des-Prés. For dinner, I broiled two steaks with strips of red bell pepper, and made cream of cauliflower soup. Later, I baked a pan of gingerbread.
I joke a lot about my camera being my external brain, but there's a lot about last year I wouldn't remember without the help of my albums, including what I was cooking:
(salmon-potato gateau, tatsoi, and bubbly, New Year's Eve, 2011)
I didn't bother with pictures during this year's celebration -- sometimes wielding a camera keeps me from being fully present, and mine doesn't have a working flash, so evening pics tend to be more miss than hit. Also, I found myself feeling both annoyed and pitying at Chickie Wah Wah's, at certain audience members who seemed far more keen on getting snapshots/video than paying attention to the music (that they were shouldering their way to the front and being in my way colored my attitude, of course. Although it was fun seeing Deacon John play to the lens, and I had a great view of DJ and the other soloists' reflections in a side mirror).
Anyway, for New Year's Eve dinner, I helped Saz out with shelling/deveining shrimp, dicing peppers, and slicing pears, and for brunch the following day we went to Elizabeth's. I could have done with far less sweet pepper jelly on my chicken livers, but it was a beauty of a morning nonetheless.
As is today -- it's chillier up here, but the sun's out, and I'm about to pour myself a cup of coffee, put away yesterday's dishes, and get to work.
