Ah, it’s been a nice week. I had a good balance of friend dates and family time, plus work was busy in a good way. I’m also going on longer fall walks with Murray – he gets so frisky when the weather gets chilly, and my knee is feeling strong. It’s hard not to be in a bright mood. Here are some highlights:
Home cooking at a friend’s house
After a weekend of travel to see family and the onset of a full work week, I landed at my friend’s house for dinner Tuesday. She made a huge batch of risotto with butternut squash, kale and bacon, plus rotisserie chicken on the side. I brought a bottle of red wine. Initially we were going to go out for dinner – we normally try to be adventurous and try new places together. But she was on a long commute from work and I didn’t really feel like spending $40 on drinks and dinner multiple times this week, so we both realized we preferred staying in. (Freedom!)
Even with people getting back to dining adventures and trying to get out of stay-at-home pandemic life, it still feels good to stay home a lot of nights. It’s cozy and relaxed, and budget-conscious and easy. It’s a good balance to going out and treating ourselves.
Wine time with the girls
Speaking of treating ourselves, I went to Dilworth Tasting Room SouthPark with a few yoga friends to celebrate one of the girl’s birthdays on Thursday. I’ve been here quite a few times, but I hadn’t seen these friends in quite a LONG time. I’ve missed my yoga circle since I haven’t been practicing much, or teaching at all, so it felt amazing to slip back into their group. I ended up with a couple glasses of Bordeaux and the DTR Salad with dried figs, goat cheese, apple and chicken. There were crispy truffle fries on the table too. I had to dip into them.
Cauliflower/potato soup
Unless they’re bright colors, they don’t look glamorous, but I love making blended soups in the fall. They’re so creamy and comforting. And soup in general is a good cooking default. I feel like, almost no matter what, you can save a soup if it starts to go awry. And you’re pretty much bound to succeed if you follow the “salt, fat, acid, heat” mentality.
I threw together a pot of soup on Friday afternoon, knowing Rémy might be working late. I also needed to clear out some vegetables from the fridge and my friend was coming over for a puppy playdate and dinner. In the soup, I simmered and then blended: Zucchini, onion, garlic, cauliflower, potato, celery, miso broth, salt, paper, oregano, Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Seasoning, lemon, butter, nutritional yeast and pecorino. And I shredded pecorino on top with a sprinkling of pepper before serving.
Wrapping up some reading
I started this memoir, To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins, while I was in Brevard for our wedding anniversary getaway. I just finished it and I loved it. It’s one of those classic soul-searching-type books, where the author set out on a 16-month bike trek from Oregon to Patagonia to find himself when he turned 30. I’m a sucker for those stories. I’m also always frustrated by them. I end up wondering: So, do I have to give up my job and leave everything behind for a year for some adventure that will give me the right content to write a book? Of course I’m not serious, but it makes me wonder how people come up with any other book ideas worth writing about their lives. And besides, I’m happy with all the little adventures (and food adventures) here, for now.
