It's that time of year. Massachusetts is a sad, cold, place to be, I can't justify reading in bed all day, and my mother has flown the coop to spend the week in Florida with her parents (how dare she!) leaving me to fend for myself and take on her role to care for my Dad and Tommassio. It's that time of year, when my maternal instincts start kicking in, and I use a cookbook to channel those instincts into something delicious and productive. Last year, one snowy day, it was my first batch of homemade cepelinai, which turned out, unfortunately, gray, but edible and remarkably delicious. This year, I've decided to go with some more "haute cuisine."
Which brings us back to Christmas. This year, I really didn't want much; a car, an apartment, a job, and world peace. Unfortunately, Santa's had a tough year, and couldn't provide. What I did get, was a pair of boots, a nice pink fleece jacket, the complete first season of Burn Notice (the show about us... that's for another blog post) and Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Ever since my mom saw the film "Julie and Julia" about two years ago, she has raved about how similar I am to the protagonist, Julie, who blogs about cooking through Julia's book over the course of a year. I think it's because we're both bloggers and, of course, my stunning good looks rival those of Amy Adams, while my sense of humor will only ripen with age to the caliber of Meryl Streep's. We watched the film together last year over winter break, and she persists to tell me that my blogging skills could also earn me a book or movie deal.
So, the book was one place to start. Not that I will get a book or movie deal from cooking through the same cookbook, since it's, obviously, already been done. Regardless, as I mentioned, my maternal-instinct kicks in mid-winter, so it's provided me with enough inspiration and amusement to weather some of the worst-weather days.
Today is one of those days.
I woke up to the tap-tapping of sleet hitting the window at the head of my bed. Snuggling under my covers, 9.30 AM yoga was not calling my name, but the cookbook and the pie crust in the freezer were. I walked down the stairs, and the first thing I did, after pouring myself a cup of coffee, was blanch the bag of spinach that was in the fridge. At this point, my plans of staying in my pajamas and cooking all day were foiled, when I realized that I didn't have half the ingredients I needed. So I dressed and drove to the grocery store to purchase the things that remained. An hour after my return, the result was a beautiful and delicious quiche aux epinards (spinach quiche)!
Plans for tonight's dinner are already in the works - Carbonnades a la Flamande (beef and onions braised in beer). I feel gratified, because my French language skills and maternal instincts have synthesized in the perfect past time for unemployed recent college graduates! Channeling Julia Child has never been so much fun. Bon Appétit!
Which brings us back to Christmas. This year, I really didn't want much; a car, an apartment, a job, and world peace. Unfortunately, Santa's had a tough year, and couldn't provide. What I did get, was a pair of boots, a nice pink fleece jacket, the complete first season of Burn Notice (the show about us... that's for another blog post) and Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Ever since my mom saw the film "Julie and Julia" about two years ago, she has raved about how similar I am to the protagonist, Julie, who blogs about cooking through Julia's book over the course of a year. I think it's because we're both bloggers and, of course, my stunning good looks rival those of Amy Adams, while my sense of humor will only ripen with age to the caliber of Meryl Streep's. We watched the film together last year over winter break, and she persists to tell me that my blogging skills could also earn me a book or movie deal.
So, the book was one place to start. Not that I will get a book or movie deal from cooking through the same cookbook, since it's, obviously, already been done. Regardless, as I mentioned, my maternal-instinct kicks in mid-winter, so it's provided me with enough inspiration and amusement to weather some of the worst-weather days.
Today is one of those days.
I woke up to the tap-tapping of sleet hitting the window at the head of my bed. Snuggling under my covers, 9.30 AM yoga was not calling my name, but the cookbook and the pie crust in the freezer were. I walked down the stairs, and the first thing I did, after pouring myself a cup of coffee, was blanch the bag of spinach that was in the fridge. At this point, my plans of staying in my pajamas and cooking all day were foiled, when I realized that I didn't have half the ingredients I needed. So I dressed and drove to the grocery store to purchase the things that remained. An hour after my return, the result was a beautiful and delicious quiche aux epinards (spinach quiche)!
Plans for tonight's dinner are already in the works - Carbonnades a la Flamande (beef and onions braised in beer). I feel gratified, because my French language skills and maternal instincts have synthesized in the perfect past time for unemployed recent college graduates! Channeling Julia Child has never been so much fun. Bon Appétit!
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