For only being in the office four days, this week was starting to feel a hell of a lot longer. Part of it is work stress, part of it was the usual ‘broke before payday’ blues, part of it was problems with my car, and part of it was the existential mind-melt that American political news has become. What is it the kids say about they can’t even? That. That is what I can’t right now.
And with all the peculiar astronomical phenomena last year and this, it’s tempting to ascribe the current social climate to some kind of temporary madness; mostly because temporary things END and we can get back to sweet, sweet sanity. But I digress.
Lately I’ve been cooking up a storm, mostly due to possibly one of the greatest Xmas gifts I’ve ever gotten:
God, it’s SO. GOOD. A lot of it I had seen before on Janice Poon’s blog, but having a book is just so much better, I think. It’s not just recipes, it’s cooking advice and entertaining too! I already made one recipe from it (Hong Kong ribs!) and am going to try the prosciutto roses soon. And the feathered melon rinds. And I’ve already priced canned Burgundian snails and Pernod absinthe, which are fancy but still within my price range if I budget carefully. Who needs an eye doctor appointment or underwear without holes when there are bizarre entrees in sauce to craft? Who, I say? Priorities.
And of course, having received the cookbook, I decided to re-watch Hannibal from the beginning. It holds up perfectly, like falling in love all over again. I’m not doing a big review or anything, but I really must express delighted disbelief at what they got away with on network television.
One of my new favorite pastimes is flipping through old issues of Cook’s Illustrated while watching the show. I have about two dozen issues, and a friend of mine gave me a pile of hardbound back issues going back to the nineties. As one of my new year’s resolutions is just to enjoy life more and not get stuck in routines, it’s a fun, relaxing way to find new recipes and feed my mind.
So all in all, I’d say that while my week was exhausting, 2017 is off to a decent start. I can’t control what happens to me (or to the world), but I can control my reaction to it. If my reaction is to throw myself into cooking, writing, and exercising so that I can be a more productive member of society, than I think there are much worse things to do with my time.
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Do you like cooking? Why or why not?
Your Hannibal Cooking Re-Watch sounds delightful. I just got that book from the library and its gorgeous.
Will you show us pictures of the food you cooked! I’d love to see them if you’re willing to share!
Oh, and when you’re done watching an episode, check out my review for each one. They’re good and long winded.
Ha ha, yes, your reviews are super-awesome and in-depth! I love reading them!
Thank you! Yes, I will totally post some pics the next time I make something from the book – I was so excited when I made the ribs I totally forgot to take any!
Don’t you think the holidays just scream for watching the show? The stag imagery and all the stuff that happens in the snow, people at parties with lots of food and such?
I used to wonder why it was always wintertime on the show.
It definitely sets a mood, and so much of the show is about loneliness that it works.
Also I think they filmed in Toronto and had to work with what they had, lol!
I felt like the first season of Hannibal was amazing but that it foundered a little bit in the second one. Super atmospheric though, and the cooking sequences were always amazing.
I didn’t do any resolutions because my life is too much in upheaval to think about *guided* change right now. I’ve been trying just to do the same stuff as always – work, pay bills, go to the gym, watch enormous buttloads of television…
Re: Resolutions – understood. Maintaining normal routines is sometimes the most you can do. From what you’ve listed you’re pretty productive even at the worst of times, so that’s a good thing!
If, by productive, you mean “really skilled at watching a lot of television,” then you’re spot on. 😀