Last fall I started making some notes about things I wanted to cook, or pursue, or whatever. Write it down, make it happen, right? Well…time passed and it became a blueprint (remember those?) of ideas for 2024. More time has passed, we’re back in another fall, so let’s check in to see what was accomplished and what might be added to the list. Now that I’m about to have a shiny new kitchen, there are no excuses.
- Cookbooks: The ones I brought back on the bus were reviewed and a few were rehomed. I bought a copy of Rosa Jackson’s beautiful Nicoise and a friend kindly brought over a copy of Bee Wilson’s The Secret of Cooking, neither of which I’ve actually cooked from—yet. There are a lot of great-looking recipes in both and I look forward to trying them this fall.
- Zuni Café Cookbook: Such a classic, with my favorite roast chicken recipe, and there are plenty of others. Time to seriously peruse this.
- E Cookbooks: Courtesy of my brother, most of the ones on my Kindle have been corralled into a “collection” imaginatively named “Cookbooks”. In the spirit of cookbook organization, I rejoined Eat Your Books, and have updated all the books I have so searching for lamb chops might be easier.
- Add a cookbook: Since we were in Madrid, I’ve been wanting to cook more Spanish food. Looking for a good Spanish cookbook. Any suggestions?
- Making friends with the air fryer: Maybe not friends yet. Still playing around with it on occasion. Best result so far? the Crispy Baked Chicken which I “baked” in the air fryer. In someone’s defense, it was so hot all summer, that turning on an oven was not an option.
- Eating more fish: Still haven’t made friends with a fishmonger and have bought/cooked almost no fish, so it stays on the list. We both love fish, but weirdly Nice isn’t the most fish-friendly town. My friend Cristina just gave me the recipe for one of her favorite dishes—salmon with miso, so that takes care of both the fish and miso ideas and looks delicious! I’ll report back.
- Beans: My dad loved beans and cooking with them. Somehow, that didn’t find its way down the family tree, but recently a bunch of recipes with white beans has caught my eye. Now, I just have to source some good, dried beans.
- Playing with breadcrumbs: An amazing breakfast in Ljubljana featured some toasted breadcrumbs with scrambled eggs. They’re a simple ingredient that can totally change a dish.
- And other pantry items: Using more of the spices I’ve collected was on the list, and now I’m going to add more pantry items. We’re moving in a week and if it gets moved, it better get used. Looking at you, spices, beans, and lemon caviar.
- Entertain: A new apartment, bigger kitchen, dining table and chairs means it’s time to start having people over. Nothing fancy, just fun with friends.
What’s on your list for fall?
