Inspired: What I'm cooking this week (or rather, what my mom is)

I quit my day job this week and one of the things I am most excited about is being able to tackle more cooking projects. Now that we are heading into fall and I can feel a slight chill in the air, I am thinking about making gnocchi and polenta and braises.

My mom is visiting this week, and one of the first things she likes to do when she's here is to go grocery shopping. (She lives in Hawaii where grocery stores aren't as well provisioned, especially with fresh produce—unless it's locally grown.) My fridges (even the garage "beer fridge") is jammed packed with figs, champagne grapes, 8 kinds of cheese, mushrooms, lamb chops, halibut, berries, and cold cuts. My pantry is stocked with pasta and artisan bread, wine and olive oil. So far she's planned on making gravlax and Korean beef stew with chili peppers and soy sauce, and I'm hoping to convince her make roast beef with Yorkshire pudding for Wallie's birthday at the end of the week. Nobody does it better than my mom. Everything I know about cooking and food appreciation I learned from her.

For now our weekly menu is influenced by what we feel like eating in the moment. Next week we go back to budgeting and planning.

So, as we cruise into the latter part of 2007, look for more recipes, more often. Wallie will also be taking lunches to school starting next week and her school has strict food requirements. If you want ideas for vegetarian lunches (her school policy), check back. I also have some exciting plans for Family Food which includes my first ever vlog (more on that later), and some other good things which I'll share with you soon.

Comments

[JAmom]

Vegetarian lunches? Really? My three year old son gets cranky if he doesn't have some form of meat with each meal. I had no idea this was something I even had to worry about when considering grade school.

[izzy's mama]

Intriguing..what type of school is it? I look forward to hearing what will happen to all of the food in your fridge. Sounds like days of feasting. You are so fortunate to have your mom around to help and cook with you.

[Deborah Dowd]

Congrats on sticking it to the man (or woman!)Work just gets in the way of what we want to do. Have you thought of inviting some of us over for dinner to enjoy your food bounty!?

[Faux Wood Blinds Gal]

Its fantastic to hear that you have left your day job to be a full time menu writer from home. Your blog is great, thanks for sharing.