Sunday supper

Having a group over for dinner tonight for some roasted Soul Food Farms chicken. Probably roast some random mystery box vegetables and pull together an easy salad. With homemade pickled carrots, greenbeans and some cheese to start it should be enough. of course, must make the wine decision at some point. This crowd likes chardonnay and since I never open it for myself it might be a good chance to clear some space on the wine rack. maybe some Au Bon Climat or Gary Farrell?

Canning again

Cranberries and the frozen backyard blackberries today. One batch of cranberry-blackberry-citrus jam, one of blackberry-apple "cheese", brandied and bourbon cranberries, gin with blackberries, gin with cranberries, bourbon with cranberries and bourbon with blackberries. And K even came and "helped."
Well, while she was not playing with the backyard chickens.

A good day.

Now Bonny Doon Cigare 2004.

Thankgiving wines and winter gardening

Had a lovely Thanksgiving meal with friends in Marin. Lovely people, great food and Navarro Gewurz and Reisling, Cobb Pinto and Gary Farrell Zin, along with something sparkling that I did not see the label on. Everything was wonderful but the standouts for me were the pinot and the cauliflower gratin. Also, bacon on turkey works.

Today, still exhausted from the endless flu, we planted broccoli, cauliflower and pea starts along with random flowers for K and some fava bean seeds. last year the favas were a huge success, but were from starts.

Now time for "gingerbread puzzles" from a Martha Stewart recipe. Holiday weekend plus 7-year-old=much baking.

Tomorrow, more canning.

Time to start

Oh, how many years is it that I have been lacking the motivation to blog? Far too many to count. Amazing what a week in bed with the flu can inspire you to do.
To introduce myself, my name is Amy. I live in the SF Bay Area and do publicity for a local book publisher, specializing in food and wine but also some random non fiction as well. Those looking for a publisher for their first novel? Can't help you.
I've got an ever growing wine rack or two or three and eat out more than I should. I cook often and struggle to feed a picky 7-year-old. I also can--everything from apricots to green beans to homemade grenadine.
I tweet for work @educatedpalates.

Right now the flu has reduced me to Law and Order reruns on tv. It really is on a channel pretty much every moment of the day.

More later. And. M.B., don't panic.