Fall. Is. Here. There’s that extra crispness in the air. I don’t leave the house without a scarf, just in case. The leaves are showing their crimson best, with the real fighters clinging to almost bare branches, looking down at their fallen friends below. As my thoughts drift more and more towards hearty dishes and afternoons spent curled up on the couch with a good book, here is what I am finding inspiring right now…
What I am reading…
I have a couple of books on my nightstand, their bookmarks peeking out to remind me that there’s more story still to go. The first is Stand Facing the Stove, which recounts the journey of Irma and Marion Rombauer, the women behind the infamous kitchen bible The Joy of Cooking. The second is quite a different beast. Part memoir, part textbook, I am working my way through the brick that is The 4-Hour Chef by lifehacker Timothy Ferris.
Beyond books, I’m enjoying learning more about the vegan community through Chickpea Magazine. If you can’t find it at a retailer near you, you can order the fall issue, and back issues, online. I was inspired to work on some vegan dishes of my own and developed these almond butter oatmeal cookies, which make a great breakfast treat or afternoon snack.
To keep my mailbox interesting, I have subscribed to Kitchen Letters . Imagine finding a letter from one of your favourite chefs, along with a recipe, in your mailbox twice a month. Well that’s what Kitchen Letters offers. Way more fun than my usual mail. And an interesting twist on food media.
What I am watching…
This TedX Toronto video, which I was fortunate enough to see presented in person at the TedX event in September. Speaker Joel MacCharles of wellpreserved.ca makes a good case for a little more preservation in all of our lives. In fact, you may already be preserving and not even know it.
I have not watched this yet, but am looking forward to an inspiring evening on the couch with a mug of warm cider (or maybe even mulled wine). The documentary To Make a Farm looks at the future of agriculture by following different young people trying to make a living through farming. You can check out the trailer, or download the full movie through iTunes.
What’s on my wish list…
In my compact kitchen there’s only room for one set of mixing bowls, so I’m trying to choose between these two: the durable, hard-working tempered glass 9-bowl Duralex set or the beautiful, more delicate Falcon enamelware prep set. Both companies have been making their wares for over 70 years, and the design hasn’t changed much, because classic design is just that – classic. It worked then, it works today, and it will still work in the future. How will I ever choose!
KitchenCoop 