the best

I devoured Molly Wizenberg's book, A Homemade Life. The story compelled me. Tales of Paris, and all the food food food romanced me. I am pleased with how it has inspired me to write even more in my blogs, including this food blog which had cobwebs on it from Anjali's arrival in October. I look around at my life and see the poetry, I smell the fragrances, and I appreciate the beauty, and love, in a fresh way. What a gift! There are also many recipes that I'm looking forward to trying ~ one for buckwheat pancakes (I loove pancakes), a cornbread recipe that has cream that oozes through it (love cornbread and cream), some fun salad concoctions and too many cake recipes to name. I've always been afraid of baking cakes, that I just didn't have what it takes to be a cake baker (she is a cake baker ~ with weights and precise measurements; I'm a soup maker ~ add a little of this, a blob of that until it tastes good), but with her zeal and reassurance, I think I might have the nerve to give one a try. Perhaps that last chocolate cake recipe with only a tablespoon of flour! Sounds like a good place to start.

But now that I'm walking away from the story ~ finished it in just three enthusiastic evenings of bedtime reading ~ I think the best thing I've taken away from A Homemade Life upon initially setting it down is = I've started eating chocolate with my bread. Without a special occasion ~ other than the occasion to eat chocolate with bread. ;-)

This morning I fried my eggs, over medium, and then a slice of 100% rye sourdough bread (no caraway seeds) in the leftover butter (plus perhaps a pat). Then while it was still hot and bubbling with butter, I laid two squares of Green & Black's Dark 70% on top (you wouldn't think that rye would be good with chocolate, but I urge you to give it a try ~ real rye, not that white stuff with the caraway seeds that supposedly indicate that it's "rye"). They melted into puddles with just the little G&B leaf imprint left of the solid rectangle by the time I got to the table. If that isn't a way to start your day off right, I don't know what is.

Thanks, Molly! :-D

inspired

(as in ~ i am inspired)

i ordered this book and it came in the mail yesterday. i had other things on my mind to accomplish yesterday evening after helping the babe to sleep, but i at least wanted to crack the book open to take a little sneak peek! and i read 100 pages. guess i like it. ;-) full of love, of family, of life, and of food. and full of delicious recipes that, now that i come to think of it, mostly are falling into the dessert category so far. i recommend.

A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg