Happy Bastille Day to all our French Friends!
13 hours ago
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Simple Things
At the Bunny Bungalow, I relish Sunday morning breakfast out on the front porch with Tall Husband because there is always the unexpected. This morning, we spotted our favorite neighborhood cat stalking the roof of the neighbor's house. The simple things in life are the best.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Orange You
Orange you glad it's Friday?
O.K., please forgive me for the bad joke; I've just come in from mowing and edging the lawn in the midday sun...must be a heat stroke, or else I've just been exposed to Tall Husband's idea of humor far too long.
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Hot!
I'm neither a mad dog, nor an Englishman, so I'm hiding from the sun. It's heading toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit here in Houston, and our Dutch house guest is taunting us by reading aloud the weather report for his hometown: Sunny with a high of 70 degrees. Hush or you won't get any dinner, Dutch Boy!
Note: Mad Dogs and Englishmen is from a song by Englishman Noel Coward. Click here to see him sing his song: Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A Culinary Adventure
One never knows how an adventure will begin. This one began with questions.
Question #1: Our house guest from the Netherlands asked if Tall Husband and I would accompany him to a bookstore and help him select an American cookbook as a gift for his wife (they have one of those uber chic German kitchens...I'm so jealous!) We went to one of our favorite bookstores with an impressive collection of cookbooks.
Question #2: As I was looking for The Barefoot Contessa's latest book, trying unsuccessfully to remember her name, two other customers came into the isle. I turned to the one who looked like a teenage skateboarder and asked, not expecting him to know, "What is the Barefoot Contessa's real name?"
Before I could bat an eye, he answered, "Ina Garten," then reached into the row of books and handed me one of her recent publications.
Question #3: I was stunned and asked, "How did you know that?"
"I'm a chef," he answered.
Not only are he and his friend chefs, but they are chefs at very expensive restaurants here in Houston. What ensued was the most fascinating conversation. We discussed: mayonnaise (don't buy it...make your own in a blender!); various foreign and American cookbook authors; local and foreign restaurants (chefs eat out to sample the competition's fare;) the presentation of food; changing food fads; then they made cookbook recommendations.
One of the recommendations, which I purchased, was the American edition of The Escoffier by Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935.) So, I've been under a rock, for I had never heard of this book, which they assured me is in the library of every chef. Part one of this book begins with The Fundamental Elements of Cooking. Part II is comprised of recipes and methods (around 3,000 recipes!)
So, I'm off to conquer Bearnaise Sauce!
Question #1: Our house guest from the Netherlands asked if Tall Husband and I would accompany him to a bookstore and help him select an American cookbook as a gift for his wife (they have one of those uber chic German kitchens...I'm so jealous!) We went to one of our favorite bookstores with an impressive collection of cookbooks.
Question #2: As I was looking for The Barefoot Contessa's latest book, trying unsuccessfully to remember her name, two other customers came into the isle. I turned to the one who looked like a teenage skateboarder and asked, not expecting him to know, "What is the Barefoot Contessa's real name?"
Before I could bat an eye, he answered, "Ina Garten," then reached into the row of books and handed me one of her recent publications.
Question #3: I was stunned and asked, "How did you know that?"
"I'm a chef," he answered.
Not only are he and his friend chefs, but they are chefs at very expensive restaurants here in Houston. What ensued was the most fascinating conversation. We discussed: mayonnaise (don't buy it...make your own in a blender!); various foreign and American cookbook authors; local and foreign restaurants (chefs eat out to sample the competition's fare;) the presentation of food; changing food fads; then they made cookbook recommendations.
One of the recommendations, which I purchased, was the American edition of The Escoffier by Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935.) So, I've been under a rock, for I had never heard of this book, which they assured me is in the library of every chef. Part one of this book begins with The Fundamental Elements of Cooking. Part II is comprised of recipes and methods (around 3,000 recipes!)
So, I'm off to conquer Bearnaise Sauce!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Mum's the Flower
Just a moment to say Hello, as a house guest has just telephoned from the airport. There are flowers from the market to arrange, linens to smooth, orchid scented candles to burn, wine to chill, cheese to set out...aren't guests wonderful? They just fill a home with anticipation. I'm looking forward to conversations into the night and hearing about his latest invention. He's from the Netherlands and a colleague of Tall Husband's. I've met him just once and couldn't let him stay in a hotel this visit. This is Texas after all!
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