Snapdragons warrants: tea

Since my system of warrants was inspired by the British, I think that I am obligated to give warrants for tea. It makes sense, right? Okay, here we go.
First, I need to outline the difference between “tea” and an “infusion”. Tea is an infusion of the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Depending on how these leaves [...]

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Tiffin, 25 August

Home grown tomatoes; flatbread and a tea ball full of Pear Caramel Truffle; chick pea dip (not quite hummus–no tehini) and olives; plain yogurt with very sweet cranberry sauce.

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Spices

The tiffin boxes aren’t a lone phenomenon in my world. After a lapse of nearly a decade, I’m doing the Making Curries From Scratch thing again, again using Madhur Jaffrey’s cook book.

It involves a lot of whole spices, which come from the specialty groceries in large quantities and which usually fit into these Ball [...]

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The trouble with tiffins

Well, you all know what that trouble is.

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The Enlightenment lady breakfasts

This morning, for reasons wholly un-analyzable (except perhaps related to the fact that I had morning time to squander), I woke up feeling like an Enlightenment lady. What precisely does that mean? I don’t know. I felt like lace and frills were cromulent fashion choices. I felt that my bedroom was beautiful and peaceful, with [...]

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Lessons from the garden

Good things come to those who wait.

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Fried zucchini blossoms

It has come to my attention that some bloggers are listing me in the “Foodie Blog” section of their blogroll (thanks!) Well, if I am thought of as a foodie, I’m totally down with that–and I’d better look sharp to maintain my creds, don’t you think? So I couldn’t possibly pass this one up. I [...]

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Entre le chien et le loup

I once knew someone who called twilight “entre le chien et le loup”–between the dog and the wolf. It is a very French sort of thing to say; romantic and elegant-sounding, especially in French, but with only a vague sort of meaning. Vague is as vague does, and earlier this week, I began to feel [...]

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Summer food

Today is the first of four days of near-solitude; four days in which I am staying home and getting things done. Obviously, I need to lay in provisions for the long haul, and obviously, I need to use up the stuff that’s coming out of my garden. Can do!

The first order of business was to [...]

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Act II: The Play

Having made such a spectacular sandwich, one needs to find an appropriately spectacular place to eat it. I suggest that you round up some friends and tootle down the road to The Festival, where Shakespeare plays are put on in an outdoor arena, on lovely manicured grounds, next to a lovely faux-Elizabethan house.

You have an [...]

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Act I: The Sandwich

In 1997, Martha Stewart Living had its golden age. I think I’ve said this before–the linen closet article, the aromatherapy article, and the picnic article are all from 1997. The picnic article has fascinated me ever since; I watched Martha make that brick-pressed sandwich then, in 1997, when we had all only just woken up [...]

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