Two Tomatoes & A Little Bit More

What do I know?  That’s the nagging question that comes up as soon as I sit down to write a post.  What do I know?  There are so many gorgeous food blogs out there and I believe I subscribe to most, if not all of them.  I hope you wonder the same from time to time, because if I’m the only writer out there who questions if what I have to say — what I have to offer is of any value, then I feel pretty lonely.

I do know some things.  I enjoy reading posts on almost any topic that are written by passionate authors.  Those bloggers who are out there living their lives and enjoying themselves.  Blogs like Local Milk: http://localmilkblog.com/ encourage me to make the most of what I have:  an old kitchen table, the finish scratched and peeled, some cracked and chipped dinnerware, and some mismatched flatware.  And the author, Beth, in her most recent post admits that perhaps cooking and writing keep her moving out of darkness and into the light.

How do I feel about this last little bit?  We are all followed around by shadows, aren’t we?  Some of us know exactly where they are and how to find the sun around them. For me, cooking keeps my hands and my mind focused on the here and now.  Because life is very, very beautiful.  And nothing makes me feel more centered when I am alone in this house then when I am writing.

I also just began enjoying http://www.cookbooks365.com/.  Blueberry-Basil Syrup — can you drink a photo?  I can.

Ernest Hemingway said that everyday he’d begin his work writing the truest statement that he knew.  I know that today is October 1st and as it is noon on the first Wednesday of the month, the tornado siren is blaring — a monthly test run and I feel a little anxious.

I planted three tomato plants last spring: two plum and one new heirloom — seedlings I bought at the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market.  As I mentioned, it is October 1st, I’ve begun reading Halloween stories to the Littles at bedtime, and as of today, these are the only ripe-ish tomatoes off the jungle of vines.  But they are gorgeous!  I love the shape, feeling the smooth mounds and creases with my fingers and beholding their perky little green crowns.  Royalty in my hands!

By the way, my favorite Halloween story is Room on the Broom, written by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.  “I am a bird, as green as can be.  Is there room on the broom for a bird like me?  ‘Yes!’ cried the witch…..”

One last thing to mention….I almost know how to flip an omelet over in the pan using only a flick of my wrist while holding my breath, squinting and saying a quick prayer that I don’t toss it onto the kitchen floor.  I’ve been practicing this technique for the past few mornings after returning home from walking the Littles to school.  It is on this mile walk home that I play the omelet flip over and over perfecting it in my head.  But so far, I’ve only been able to get it to fold in half on top of itself rather than have it flip completely over.  This is a failure to fully commit on my part.

One last, last thing to mention… I know that I want to make the Hot Milk Cake recipe in this month’s issue of Saveur magazine.  I am hoping this vanilla cake with a seemingly simple buttercream frosting is the very birthday cake I’ve been looking for.  At last.