Since I launched the campaign against Fluffy, I’ve actually been able to eat from my garden. Last week at my film premiere I was able to serve prosciutto-wrapped figs as one of the early courses, for example. (That was aided by also wrapping nets around the fig trees against the birds.)
Very satisfying, it must be said, is the crop of tomatoes of various types that have returned. After the Great Tomato Atrocity, this is very good to see.
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My films are finished! There’ll be more on them here later (including their online premiere), so check back. I might even try to find time to cut a trailer for the first one soon.
Being somewhat insane, I’ve decided on the (sort of) spur of the moment to have a (tongue in cheek) red carpet premiere of the films this weekend. I’ve a confirmed list of 20 hungry guests coming (mostly friends who are filmmakers, writers, actors, journalists, educators and other related professions), and I’ve promised to prepare them lots of food and drink. (Well, the films are very short.) It is already late in the day and I’ve been procrastinating instead of starting my prep. As usual.
Anyway, I’ve decided to plan a few long-prep centerpieces, and will improvise all the other dishes based on whim, the Farmer’s market offerings later, and how many of […] Click to continue reading this post
Took this in the Hollywood farmer’s market a couple of weeks ago, maybe because I probably had particles and holes on the brain (as it were) due to my (recently completed – hurrah!*) project. So I thought I’d share a little of what the world looks […] Click to continue reading this post
With about ten figs taken over a day and a half, the Great Tomato Atrocity still fresh in my mind, several chases and confrontations with yelling on both sides… It is clear. There is no other conclusion:
Fluffy must go.
After some experiments with small stealth items over the last few days, which, after some near misses (the Force is strong with Fluffy), Fluffy now routinely evades, I am deploying some heavy battlefield equipment:
I’ve this delightful little pepper tree that produces petite purple peppers.
(Click for larger view.) They’re each about an inch long.
With their lovely shape and deep, rich colour, they’re such a pleasure to look at that […] Click to continue reading this post
Well, that was a hugely tiring day indeed. I’ve just returned from a full day of shooting for an episode of the the 
History Channel’s The Universe, and all I can do is collapse on the sofa for a long while.
I’ve grabbed the essentials (a nice cold Leffe, some tasty corn chips, a cup of tea – I made it before I got the Leffe idea – , some books I’m reading, etc) to have within easy reach so that I need not get up for a while. I simply don’t want to.
It was tiring mostly because it was so terribly hot for most of it. The first half of the […] Click to continue reading this post
When I’m feeling muddled or somewhat low, one of the things that reliably helps me find my foundation is going out into the garden and doing some work here and there, or simply checking on how various plants or fruits and vegetables are coming along. The work, the sounds and smells, the surroundings, and the cycles of renewal that are all over the garden are wonderfully uplifting to me.
So imagine how I felt yesterday when, feeling down for one reason or another, I went out into the garden and discovered that the six or seven wonderful tomatoes (of various types) – that I was giving just another day or two to become perfect – had all been taken! […] Click to continue reading this post
It is the birthday of a friend today, with a party to be held at a beach. The instructions were to bring something French to eat. I was in a baking mood this morning and so I decided, after some thought and research, to make an apple cake as a birthday present. Apparently this is a typical French-style cake. Well, it is French enough for me, with its simple combination of fruit and cake.
(Interestingly it is roughly reminiscent of the apricot/peach upside-down cake I was planning to make when I was shopping in the market, but I could not get a definitive source to tell me whether that type of cake was of French origin or not, so I decided to use the apples instead. I can just eat the apricots and peaches for lunch each day this week.)
Ok, here’s how I made it. […] Click to continue reading this post
I just felt in the mood, and half an hour later…
…cupcakes, strawberries, and cream. (Click for larger view.)
It all went in like this (after ten minutes of prep (1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 […] Click to continue reading this post
One of the offerings for my 17 guests during my solstice celebratory cooking session yesterday. (Click for larger view.) For background, see yesterday’s post.
I produced five or six core dishes for the menu, overall. Boy, that was fun! (There were also some excellent dishes brought by guests, and I had various other things […] Click to continue reading this post
The Sun stood still earlier today! Don’t panic – It is Summer Solstice. I’m talking about an apparent motion of the sun, or, more accurately the migration of its path across the sky. Take a moment to think celestially for a bit and ponder the earth as it goes around the sun on its annual path. There’s a tilt to the earth’s own rotation axis, remember? (About 23 degrees). That tilt results in our seasons, and the path of the sun through the daily sky. Visualize this for a moment and it’ll make sense, if you let it. Today the sun’s path has got as northernmost as it will get, and it is now turning around, being more Southern each day until Winter Solstice. To turn around and change direction, you first have to stop. No way around it. So, the sun stood still today.
So, I decided to celebrate all this lovely geometry on the spur(ish) of the moment. Will you? I’m going to cook up several tasty dishes and have some friends around to […] Click to continue reading this post
What’s this? Pinot Grigio salami? Well, this has to be tried out, I think.
Turned out to be rather good, although how it would have tasted without the pinot grigio being involved in the process, I don’t know.
Anyway, as a result of the successful taste test, this has been a component of my lunch sandwich here a lot. (Click for a closer view and to read the details if desired.)
In related news, the real Summer season is finally beginning here in Aspen, on or around this weekend. Several things that have been 
closed (e.g., the buses up to the trailheads of some of my favourite hiking trails, the weekly farmer’s market on the street), or running reduced hours (e.g. the Explore bookstore) up to now are opening up, and some of the major festivals are beginning. Of course, I won’t be around for most of them. That’s life. Among these is the Food and Wine classic which starts Friday. There are giant tents being constructed around town, and lots of portable industrial grade cooking units being installed in them. Quite a remarkable operation. You can see the full schedule here.
To my delight I noticed that among the numerous chefs flying in for it is one of my favourites, Mario Batali! He and Nancy Silverton (another favourite excellent chef and restaurateur) […] Click to continue reading this post
Having done enough physics for the day and evening, I sometimes just find a nice quiet (but not too quiet) bar and settle into a comfortable chair with a good book and a decent single malt.
Tonight there is rain pouring outside, the air was clear and damp with slight drizzle as I […] Click to continue reading this post
I’m a creature of habit, it must be said. Part of my morning ritual while at Aspen is to slowly stir some steel cut Irish oatmeal (click for larger view) for a while (properly spiced, of course, and soaked overnight ), while listening to NPR and making some tea. The tea is also seasoned with spices and finished in a pan for a while. Why?
Tea up here is horrible if you just pour boiled water on to tea leaves (bag or no bag). This is because at this altitude, boiling water isn’t actually very hot. This makes for […] Click to continue reading this post
They have begun to arrive!
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