The Kitchen Today

Perhaps I am driven to write because my kitchen smells so amazing. I don't even need to taste this dish to know that I will love it forever. Chipotle, molasses, cumin, tomatoes, vinegar, slowly braising brisket...the smell is mingling with the welcome rain to make the whole world seem delicious. It was also incredibly easy. It is two o'clock and dinner is done. All I have to do is make a quick coleslaw, retrieve the red onions currently pickling in the fridge, and warm up the tortillas. What a beautiful day.

In other menu news, the pizza was delightful. I finally succeeded in stretching the crust suitably thin after an overnight rest in the fridge, and I loved every salty, chewy bite. The topping was fantastic, although I left out the egg and preferred it with the prosciutto and parmesan baked right along with the rest of the pizza instead of scattered on top. I have a suspicion that my pizza appreciation mojo is not sufficiently evolved.

As far as the Rosemary Olive-Oil Cake and the Carrot Harissa Salad...well,  they have already been admired in words far more eloquent than my own, and all I can do is agree with them. They are both recipes that I will keep for a long, long time. The Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles? Too sweet, and Rowan highly disapproved of the largish chunks of lemon zest. I guess we are back to our old (and more healthy) combo of plain yogurt, OJ and frozen banana and mango.

One final bit. I finally bought another Lodge cast iron skillet, after deserting ours in the mad rush away from Florida. How did I live so long without it? It fries a perfect egg for us, every morning. It tolerates the broiler. And I just seared the brisket and toasted the spices in drippings, only to wipe the residue away without even a hint of exertion or elbow grease. It's proving to be a Most Valuable Player in my kitchen.

That's all. I am enjoying life and my kitchen is blithe once again. Thanks for listening.