inspiration from food...

my lovely friend T sent me a copy of Julie & Julia - a woman's adventure into tackling all of the recipes in Julia Child's Master the Art of French Cooking within on year; the journey of it documented on blog and now in a book. T also sent me a lovely container of lavender flowers to make this awesome lavender creme brulee; it looks like my next baking project found me!
(thanks T, you are so thoughtful!)

i've started reading the book which is so far pretty well written and interesting. i can relate to food being a comfort in life, afterall don't they say someone's love of food gives you a good gauge of their love of life? last night i was inspired to make risotto primavera. For a while i made risotto once or twice a week so i have the basics down but it's been a while and i wanted lots of veggies in it, so it had onions, carrots, zucchinis, asparagus and peas along with spicy italian sausage. i must say it's to die for, request this if i ever shall offer to cook for you ;)
but more and more i realize, even though i turned to eating food as therapeutic all my life, increasingly i've become more involved with cooking food as part of my therapy. last night i had the Sharks game steaming online in the background, and chopped, sliced, diced and sizzled away. Risotto is especially therapeutic - sounds NEEDY, needing to stir it all the time until liquid is evaporated, then repeat. but for some reason, the repetition and incremental progress of cooked risotto calms me down. (Sharks winning their game in LA also helped!)


i've become a Cookware Snob. last year i own a Le Creuset for the first time in my life and i've never looked back. i'm getting 2 more Le Creuset as gifts this year so i'm super happy about it. too bad they no longer makes the pretty Citrus color gradient yellow i love so much (darn you Le Cresuet)



yesterday i also bought myself a REAL bedframe first time in my life! Look at me, I'm a Big Girl now! *cue Pampers commercial music in background* it's solid wood (unlike previously plywood or brushed metal frames i've had), and 40% off, such a steal i had to have it. but it does make me feel like a Big Girl.

continuing on that topic, i feel like i have to balance out the Big Girl feelings with doing something crazy & wild. i dunno, a roadtrip somewhere? a last minute shopping splurge on something i don't need? i'll think of something...
i think i'm still in the midst of the Rebellion Teenager phase i never went through earlier in my life, just playing catch-up. what would you do that's Crazy & Wild? i'd like some ideas.

my friend Deviline is going on a trip to Egypt soon - how exciting!!! and Paras is going on a week long cruise in the Caribbeans... i hope to live vicariously through the rest of you and maybe be inspired to do that crazy something i've been looking for~!