Nothing is Better than Anything

Picked up samples for a carpet runner in our hallway. They didn’t resonate: to me they seemed rather blah. Decided one option was to do nothing and leave the floor bare. So often, with stuff or with life, nothing is better than anything.

Categorized as Design

Three Score and Ten

Marzipan, almonds, sponge, strawberry jam, whipped cream: my once-a-year cake. Three score and ten. Life’s good

Mystery Box

Pleasantly surprised by a mystery box in the package room, clearly from someone who knows how to treat me right. Apparently the person on the front desk who signed for this wasn’t intoxicated and is at least 21 years of age. I’ll learn more when I open this tomorrow.

Sausages on the Weber

It’s sausage-and-cabbage Saturday: summer on the Weber, winter in a braise.

Categorized as Cook

Classy and Thoughtful

A neighbor parked in one of our spots. Today, when she saw the note on her car, she realized her error, bought us a gift card for a nearby wine store, and wrote a contrite apology note. Classy, plus she couldn’t have thought up a more useful gift.

Disassembling a Tower Crane

Leaned over our balcony to watch a crane being disassembled. A 41-story condominium tower has topped off next door. We can’t see the tower from our home, but we have had an armchair view of construction materials and the odd porta-potty rising up past our windows.

Burger Journey

I love to travel, whether it’s by plane, train, bicycle, or on foot. The destination may provide some purpose, but it’s not necessarily the main point. Such was my search for hamburger parts these past few days. I say “parts” rather than “ingredients” as a burger is largely an assembly operation requiring few cooking skills.… Continue reading Burger Journey

Ground Chuck

After “Foraging for Brioche Buns” yesterday, ground chuck took center stage today. Cycled over to our old neighborhood to an actual butcher shop, Lowry Hill Meats. Tomorrow, we grill thoroughly curated(!), hopefully not cremated, hamburgers.

Categorized as Cook

Veggie Paella

My first (almost) veggie paella tasted pretty good, but I need to cautiously work on developing a deeper, more caramelized base crust (socarrat). Used Arborio rather than Bomba rice (I’ll do that again next time), and chicken (rather than veggie) broth.

Categorized as Cook