The year in food - a belated review

So we've dropped the ball here for a while. I, for one, apologize for that. The past year has been a bit of a blur. Meg and I haven't managed to keep the blog updated (as noted above), but we did get the gourmet group together a number of times. Cocktails, favorite foods, and more made up the schedule. We'll update the gourmetnight.org website in short order with details and pictures.

Travel plans were cut short this summer with both our work schedules and subsequently, unrelated injuries. Meg's ankle is on the mend, though it (and the 9th circuit court of appeals) did keep us from visiting Montreal.

Random ongoing projects:

We recently mixed up some grapes and flour to bring a sourdough starter of our very own to life. Thus far, it's done little more than ooze some colorful fluids and, just today, come up with a distinctively sour smell. Combined with one of my christmas gifts from Meg, a ceramic pizza stone, we may have some fine bread here soon. If you want to make your own starter, we cribbed some notes from here - Grape Starter Procedure - which is more or less the starter made famous by Julia Child.


Recent readings and ongoing cookbooks:

Roast Chicken and Other Stories - tried a few recipes from this one - the roast potatoes are fantastic. Roast Chicken at Amazon.

The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks - nary a complaint here. Finding uses for raw eggs and rye in drinks makes, er, for some tasty results. Worth every penny. Cocktails by Mr. Degroff.

More details to follow.