...Introducing my sous-chef...

Bird used to enjoy hanging out on my shoulder when I cooked.
Now she prefers listening to albums or eating snacks.
I still consider her my main sous-chef, though, as she's cooked many a dish with me.

Bird is almost three and a half.
I found her in a pet store on a cold November day.
She was hanging upside down from her cage - squawking like mad - while her brothers and sisters just kind of chilled.
I found myself standing on the street hailing a cab with a parakeet, cage and bag of birdseed in my arms, thirty minutes later.

Bird's favorite albums: "The Blueprint" and "Talkie Walkie"
Bird's favorite snacks: arugula, spinach and homemade honey glazed apple peel
Bird's favorite dance: the side shuffle, followed by the hustle or electric slide - depending on where you're from in the good ol' U.S. of A.

...Blue Taters...

We had our hebdomadal dinner party with Maître Ferguson last night - made steaks, mashed blue potatoes and garlic spinach. Hitchcock would have been pleased.

The purée sparked up a fierce political debate, however, when M. Ferguson insinuated that québécois potatoes were inferior to those of Idaho and P.E.I. Apparently it's common knowledge that P.E.I.'s and Idaho's are way better? Come on now...if it's from Québec it's got to be good.


**This is a peeled blue potato. Tastes just like a regular potato.
I read up on the blue patates after dinner. Sources say that unlike white or yellow ones, they are full of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants keep your body's cells happy.



Our meal was accompanied by this "Séléction Ferguson".
"Cruz de Piedra", Granacha 2003, from the Calatayud vignobles found in the mountains between Madrid and Zaragoza.
At 14 degrees, this (on the sweet side) wine packs a punch. A fine catch.
Thanks Matt.

...Renoncules...

Genus name: rananculus asiaticus
Song I hear when I see them: Duke Elllington's "The Star-Crossed Lovers".

...Unpasteurized Business...

I love it when the cheese department at the grocery store decides to have a sale.
It's like I'm ten and just heard the ice cream truck.

When I saw this "Brillat-Savarin" with a "SPECIAL" sticker on it, I almost climbed over the counter to give the cheese lady a hug.

Butter is churned cream. This cheese tastes a lot like butter.
It's got a super velvety crust and is extremely rich and smooth on the inside.
I suppose it's like butter...minus the churning process.

This cheese has been around since the 1930s.
A man named Henri Adrouet created it.
He named it in honor of the famous 18th century food writer, Brillat-Savarin.
Beautiful story, no?

...Sometimes...My...Groceries...Make...Me...Happy...

Tonight's ingredients: penne, pancetta, onion, tomato, parmesean, olive oil, salt, pepper and maybe a few black olives.