tales from the kitchen

such an unusual day for may here in florida; low humidity and a refreshing breeze.

i had the apartment to myself and had already selected a recipe i wanted to try on the pork chops in the fridge. bear sensed the freedom of the afternoon and had free-reign of the place so he was happy, too - face nosing into tight corners and shelves he normally wouldn't, always sniffing, hopping on top of tables he shouldn't (im sure he went into the forbidden room but i did not catch him at it)... one time i looked up in the middle of my preparations to see him on top of the refrigerator (of course i shooed him down) and another time, he mewed at me from the dining area, looking like he had grown old all of a sudden, since dust clung to his chin and whiskers.

all in all, it was a really enjoyable afternoon. i did have to improvise in my cooking; we were out of eggs and i needed 2 for the dredging. but, we had plenty of mayo, which is essentially egg and it worked. i find its hard to really mess up in cooking, however, i do rush too much sometimes which causes me to leave out ingredients occasionally.

honestly, i find cooking and/or baking (since when i really get going in the kitchen, im apt to be doing both) to be the most relaxing way to pass the time. it doesn't have to be eaten today; whether its going in the freezer, or made for a snack in the next few days, it doesn't matter. the simple act of preparing food eases my mind and puts me in a good mood.

of course, i do try to pour myself a glass of wine when its available. as nigella says, its a cook's treat. i think shes referring to sampling the food you are preparing, but wine should also fall into this category.

i would love to have a huge open kitchen, with several spaces for working. this would allow family and friends to join in the preparations, without stepping on each others toes. there would be a window with herbs that bear would not chew (in a perfect world) except, perhaps, catnip. that would be all his. (there aren't any recipes with catnip in it, are there?) i don't need many appliances, what i have will suffice. although i have longed for a kitchen aide stand mixer, i still can't justify its high price, nor do i have the room for it to be on my counter.

actually, its not even my counter. so, id simply settle for my own kitchen, small or otherwise.

and maybe andrew's too, when he is in the mood for making me pancakes.