Today Megan at the scent of water introduced me to the poet Mary Oliver and I am in her debt.
In return I offer my favourite poem at the moment.
May be not as profound as Mary Oliver on first reading but just as good.
This Is Just To Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Willian Carlos Williams
(1883-1963)
/
During my pause (I can't think how else to describe the last two years) as well as stopping blogging I stopped cooking. I don't mean we didn't eat but to be honest it just wasn't proper cooking more shoving things in the oven or in a pan. So I have sorted out my cookbook collection, been given a few new ones and am back to cooking - proper cooking with recipes and ingredients.
Last night was Stir-fried Vietnamese lemon grass chicken from Bill Granger's "Bill's Everyday Asian" page 119. It was delicious. Spicy and fragrant and complemented by a bowl of steamed rice. My only note (I do write notes into my cook books) was that Bill cut his chicken into chunks but when I do it again I will do smaller pieces to stirfry quicker.
There are days when I just can't settle to what I am supposed to be doing and nights when I can't sleep and there is only one answer - bake. I had become a little lazy just baking the things I know well. Making things I could do in my sleep - if only I could sleep. Well I have a large collection of cookbooks - I buy some myself and it seems like it's the default for family who don't know what else to get me for Christmas and birthdays - and so it seemed like a good time to start using them all and figure out which ones to keep.
I love carrot cake but never made it at home until the cookbook sort out. I've tried several recipes from different books and this is the one. It's from Rachel Allen's book Bake but the recipe is generously supplied on her website. There is only one thing I disagree with Rachel about in relation to this cake and it's that if you don't ice it then it's nice spread with butter - no no no! I tried it iced and not and all who tried it agreed no icing and definitely no butter.
My sleeping problem is not about getting to sleep it about waking at 3 or 4 in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep - my family have become accustomed to waking to the smell of cake!
I saw a fabulous post over at quilt while you're ahead. Monica, another book lover, has given up a meticulous system of book organisation and sorted her books by colour. The effect is beautiful. I would love to be so brave. In our house we have organised the books by subject and/or author. The system and it's in-built idiosyncrasies have evolved over fourteen years of marriage and three house moves.
PS - I will show him the second photo as evidence that he doesn't always put the books where they should be. I mean to say The Spanish Civil War smack in the middle of American political autobiographies tsk tsk.
