cookbook addict

Thanks to the lovely Claudia, I have recently watched many episodes of Nigella's food shows, including Forever Summer. In a time when I find it hard to plan ahead my meals, ie looking at my cookbooks for inspiration, writing down grocery shopping lists and going to the supermarket, I was surprised to be inspired by so much DVD watching of La Nige. The last program I watched was Forever Summer, and therefore it had the most vivid impact on my memory. The other day, we hopped over the border intending to gather strawberries in a special field where you pay for the amount of fruit you've collected (and stuff your face in the process). It was to have a little fun and show Maya where strawberries come from (she loves them). Alas, what disappointment when we found out they had cleared the field to sell the produce in a stall by the side of the road, having a strawberry fest that weekend -probably the end of the season (?) Anyway, we consoled ourselves by spending time in Trier, ...

It's been over a month since I last posted. Not that I don't cook, or don' take photos, it's just that I've been excessively lazy and tired. Still, here are a few of the meals I've had this week. Last weekend, I made veal with olives and lemon. It was very very good, in a summery way. Summer is still a long lost dream at this point, let me tell you. It's been snowing for the past few days and even if the snow's melting as soon as it hits the ground, it's been rather unpleasant. A nice baked apple stuffed with homemade pain d'épices and butter is the best dessert for such weather. Then, inspired by what Paola said she had had for dinner, I set off to make my own version of pasta with chestnut mushrooms in a white wine, blue cheese (St-Agur-it's made with pasteurized milk) and cream sauce. Don't be fooled by the simple recipe method, it was comforting but still had enough grown-up complexity about it. Next we have mashed potatoes enriched...