I've forgiven August for its transgressions

"I can't go to SLEEP right NOW, IT'S RAINING!"

Yes, I know. I can be so dramatic. But I yelled this in reply to the neighbor when he leaned over the balcony earlier and asked what I was doing up so late. Dear friend, it's only 10:00p but I guess that is rather late to some. I told him I couldn't miss this glorious thunderstorm we were lucky enough to finally receive after this bait and tease game Mother Nature seems to have been playing over the last few weeks. She came through tonight. I only wish I could send some of it to the far off places that desperately need it.

I looked around, through the lightning and swaying trees and realized I wasn't the only one out on the patio, watching the rain fall down in buckets. I smiled and thought, well maybe I'm not so weird after all. I've always been so twitterpated with weather, especially thunderstorms, and ice storms and SNOW. I think the weather even affects my mood sometimes. August just d r a g s along so slowly, when you live in the state of Texas. Triple digits, pavement that can literally singe the bottom of your bare feet, seatbelts in the car that brand your bare legs.... But I've done rather well this year, dealing with August and my dislike of it all. I go outside anyway, water bottle(s) entow. I walk anyway, but it's pretty early in the morning, to avoid the extreme heat. I swim anyway, even though I have to be in the pool for most of it, to stay cool.

Because September is around the corner! Thus beginning my most favorite four months of the year. It's not that it immediately drops in temperature to a lovely 75 degrees. Or that it completely eliminates the dreaded humidity. It's just that it's September. The promise of crisp breezes wafting through my open windows. The sounds of football games, and leaves swirling, and wearing leather boots with jeans!

You will find me at my best in every month, if I'm doing it right. But you will find me at my very best, in October. Pumpkins, and roasted seeds, and ghostly lit windows for Halloween.
Suffice to say, that I've forgiven August for its transgressions. I called a truce this year, and purposely tried to stay neutral and not get so angry with it. The month isn't half over, and I believe I've already won.

So go ahead August, drag along if you will. There is still only 24 hours in a day, and when I flip that calendar page over to September, I will bid you farewell for 12 months.

But, say, would you mind being a little more gentle in 2013? And a little less dry?

Merci!

See you soon friend,
Tiffany

PS Remember my Mastering the Art of French Cooking endeavor I began a few weeks ago? It's going quite well, I made a boeuf bourguignon that would make Julia Child proud. Tomorrow she would have been 100 years old. Dear Julia, Bon Apetit! Thank you for sharing your gifts.

Cooking is like love.....

“Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” ― Julia Child



I remember being entranced in the theatre while watching Julie & Julia. My inner voice was cheering Julie on, you can do this girlfriend! Then, somewhere along the way, I thought, "hey, I want to do that". I want to purchase Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and cook my way through it, recipe by recipe. I wasn't thinking I would blog about it, like Julie did. But I wanted to do it. A month went by and I was in Paris, France. Typing that now, I still look at the words incredulously. I was in Paris!
In September. The first month of my favorite four out of the year. Walking along the River Seine, and drinking in all things French while the fall leaves swirled, I sort of forgot about cooking, as one might imagine.

I love to cook, I always have. I'm not a foodie, (but I am so glad that those foodies exist out there, I love hearing about their cooking adventures). I don't claim to be an expert in the cooking arena. But I love to search for recipes and then go buy ingredients and try my hand at whatever concoction I've found. I made homemade granola a few weeks ago that is to die for. I've always said, homemade is always better. But I will add that there are some fabulous restaurants in this country and beyond, that make special dishes that make your tastebuds dance on your tongue. I would love to have a huge, rambling kitchen that has an island in the middle, and nice cooking tools to use. With large windows overlooking a garden! My kitchen isn't huge, but I'm working on the tools. I've learned that quality does matter if you care about the outcome of those mixed ingredients. I don't have a garden but I am growing some fresh basil, rosemary and sage on the patio this year. It makes all the difference in the world using fresh spices.

I watched Julie and Julia again for the first time since it's release, and that very same feeling came over me that did when I saw it the first time. I want to master the art of french cooking, and I want Julia Child to lead the way. I ordered the two volume set today, and will be anxiously waiting its arrival. Next on my purchase list is a good Dutch Oven. In researching this item, I'm finding all different brands to compare.

Of course I would love to have this Le Creuset 7.25-Quart Round French Oven, ahem, that is only a mere $280. Pocket change, right? Well. I'm not sure yet. But I will continue to research until I find the right one for me.

This is going to be quite an adventure, but I will say a few things in regards to my journey in comparison to the movie. Julie gave herself one year to do cook her way through this book. I won't be having a deadline. Are you kidding? Some of these recipes are drowning in real butter and wine. I won't eat rich food like that on a daily basis. Julie wrote a daily blog about her endeavors. Although I might be inclined to share a few things along the way, I won't be doing this daily. When Fall arrives I might want to write about football or the Great Pumpkin. I have my standards.

So there you have it. My quest for European cuisine made with my own hands. I have a lot to learn from Julia, onward!

See you soon,
Tiffany

PS although Breakfast at Tiffany's is important, I have to share that even though I don't have the cookbooks yet, I tried my first french recipe tonight for dinner, Fricassée de Poulet. That recipe can be found here: http://www.easy-french-food.com/chicken-fricassee.html The smells coming from my kitchen were amazing I must say. Tarragon makes all the difference in the world.  One down......524 recipes to go!