Victim report

All that's missing from this spread is...a hotdog?

I thought the Amanda Hesser asparagus recipe was like a deconstructed hollandaise: olive oil, egg, lemon, salt and pepper. It was good--the grated warm egg gave it a bit of richness, but I think I'd rather go with Ami's suggestion and just shave some good Parmesan over asparagus to give it richness and flavor. My husband decided that an all vegetable meal wasn't going to cut it for him so he supplemented his portion with two hotdogs...granted they were good hotdogs (Koegels Viennas), but still...

The River's Edge Pinot Noir was terrific, as was Sideways. The wine tasted even better because we got to drink it with the most delicious accompaniments: Ami and John brought over 3 cheeses (an aged Gouda, Stilton and an almost liquid St. Felicite) and 3 salamis (from mild, to peppery, to smoked and intense). All were bought at Big 10, which is known in our house as "Cheese, Cheese, Cheese" (that's what their sign out front says).

I know it seems like I mention Big 10 in every other post, but I love the store. Part of what I love is the quality of their products but a big part is also their modesty--unlike Zingerman's hyper-manic serving style, Big 10 is quiet, calm and serious. I've never been rushed there, have had terrific conversations with the staff about the best way to serve Brasola (Italian air-dried beef--ultimate decision was to drizzle with good olive oil, crack some pepper and shave some big curls of Parmesan on it), and loved the fact that when a customer asked about an obscure sauce and how to make it, when they didn't know the answer they asked everyone in the store (even other customers) about it, ran to their computer to research it and in general just were so interested to find out the answer. Besides, you can buy terrific wine there too.

I stayed up late after everyone left and continued reading Blindness. I don't think I've ever read anything that so touches upon fear and horror and simultaneously is able to inspire hope and affirm human decency. I feel like every page makes me question whether humans are good or evil at heart; I keep changing my mind, but I think the book will end up affirming the good stuff, while not pretending all the bad stuff doesn't exist. I wish I had a day or two to just sink into the book and finish it, but as Brian is going out of town tonight for a week, and since it is composition grading season around here, I have to settle for a chapter or two a day.

I added a few photos to my knitting gallery link to the right. I still haven't finished seaming the mustard sweater. Maybe I'll get a chance to wear it once before it gets too warm for wool...