records an eclectic mixture of food, travel, and experimentation.

Food

A simple and satisfying supper:

A new dish from my wife’s cookbook club — a Shallot Tart:

Baking my favorite sourdough boule…

Improving my technique cooking marvelous fresh Porcini…

Yet another tasty beet salad….

Trying out an octopus appetizer at a new French restaurant in Cambridge (Batifol):

accompanied by artichokes and a red pepper coulis.

Travel and Experimentation

We went out West for almost a week, visiting our son. The weather was perfect and it was a joy to be together again. Experimentation came about during an excellent dinner in Jerome. There I had the best Negroni I ever had. The secret ingredient was Punt e Mes, a vermouth with a touch of amaro flavor. I made another when we got home, and it was just as good.

Visiting offers interesting insights into the lives of others….