Well, we all knew this day was coming, and it finally did. I was finally forced by The Man the reasonable renewal policy of the Wells Branch Community Library to return In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite. At least I managed to sneak some spaetzle in just under the wire, and believe me, it wasn't easy. Nothing about spaetzle is easy.
 |
| But what else will hold up all my browned onions, chard, and emmentaler cheese? |
I guess it's mostly my fault for interpreting Clark's story about how she went several years without making spaetzel because it is too difficult to do alone unless you have a spaetzel maker (288 shopping days until Christmas) as meaning that I should definitely attempt to make it alone and also maybe add in a broken foot and a two-year old climbing me like a tree. One could technically describe that as misinterpreting, I suppose. Anyway, it was…a process. That resulted in…food.
I'm tempted to attribute my semi-botching of that last recipe to a subconscious desire to make parting with Year of the Library Sub-Project Book #2 a little easier. After all, scanning the shelves this time around felt far more discouraging. What could replace such a happy presence in my home? No one seemed like the right fit. Not chilly Martha. Not my old frenemy Prevention Magazine. Ina was a contender until a casual skimming revealed that approximately 85% of her recipes contain lobster for some reason. Then something caught my eye: Cook This Now. YES. A commanding voice of wisdom and seasonality! The kind of voice that will literally tell me exactly what to make in the month of March and could also probably instruct me to clean my baseboards were she so inclined! Welcome home, Melissa Clark. I almost had time to miss you.
The first recipe in the March section is Gingery Split Pea Soup with Toasted Coriander. It was all I could do to refrain from delineating the differences among porridge, mush, and gruel for Anna. I'm hoping that in a few years she will come to share my passion on the topic.
 |
| In the meantime, I will use ground coriander next time because I seem incapable of crushing seeds thoroughly enough to avoid having weird crunchy bits all up in my nice mush. I just made the blech-tongue-scraping face thinking about it. |
I had much better luck with the accompanying Butter Lettuce and Clementine Salad with Browned Butter Vinaigrette. That is a lot of serious flavor for one little salad. Plus who thinks to put butter on salad, haaaaaa oh man I just love her.
 |
| I have no jokes about this salad, I really enjoyed it. I'M ALLOWED TO EARNESTLY FIND THINGS ZESTY AND DELICIOUS SOMETIMES, I AM ONLY HUMAN. |
In conclusion, In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: A plus plus. Cook This Now: very promising indeed. Likelihood that I will hop a plane to New York and start full-out stalking Ms. Clark: low, but on the rise.
After Ivy revealed herself as the handy type, we told her she could have a big girl bed if she could put it together.
We already took the crib down, so I think the added incentive of having nowhere else to sleep is going to spur her to finish this within the month or two. Six, tops.
