Monday, November 17, 2003

I posted this pumpkin ravioli recipe on Friday afternoon.  Somehow it vanished into the Radioland ether. . . . hmph.  I am having HUGE problems with this program!!!!  Well, there it is, now.  Weekend was spent fetching some chairs for the apartment and finishing some little projects up at the house, getting ready to do another one (painting, oh joy!). . . that is, when I wasn't collapsed in front of a roaring fire reading.  On the culinary front, it was Deb's Shepherd's Pie from last week (done to my liking with some frozen peas instead of the turnips, added towards the end, plus much less butter!!).  Bliss and joy, it made enough for TWO big dinners, so what with no cooking and few dishes to do on Sunday, there was more time for collapsing and fire-stoking and general hibernation. Lately for some reason (like, trying to get out of my usual food ruts?) I've been following some new recipes.  Is it me, or do they call for LOTS of butter?  I couldn't even contemplate the amount of butter, cream, and stock in the Shepherd's pie recipe -- I used just water since I didn't have beef stock, and even then never had to reduce the sauce, which turned out nice and thick since the leeks and the flour the lamb was dredged in thickened it right up anyhow.  And no cream in the potatoes, which come out nice and fluffy and light if you use a potato ricer, which I did since it is the only thing I have up at the house to make mashed anything with besides a fork.  (as an aside, I now love the potato ricer!  Down here we have a food mill, so it never got used, so of course it went up to the house with everything else that never gets used.  It's like a giant walk-in closet up there!  But some things, like the potato ricer, turn out to be great!) I must be getting stodgy and old, with this less butter thing.  That's okay, I also listen to NPR and drive a Swedish car.  And I'm a wine geek.  There's no hope for me, is there?     4:23:12 PM    comment []