More cookbooks

The number of cookbooks in this apartment is becoming alarming.

There are cookbooks in a stack in the bedroom. A few cookbooks sprawled across the kitchen table for easy perusal. More often than not, a cookbook sitting within easy reach on the couch. And if we start counting our regular cookbook collection, up on the shelf above the fridge, well, it gets a bit appalling.

We are talking about many, many cookbooks.

I spent a large amount of time over the last month and a half reading cookbooks. It got to the point where I really missed fiction.  But I just couldn’t tear myself away from the recipes, photos, and food writing. Finally I read a novel, and things got a little bit back to normal.

As you know if you’ve been reading this blog lately, there is a reason for all this madness. I’m doing a weekly cookbook column at work this summer, on CBC Radio. Choosing which cookbooks to profile has probably been the hardest part. The best part has definitely been discovering so many wonderful new cookbooks that I am adding to my collection.

I’m going away on holidays for the next week, but before I leave I wanted to give you the link to all of the audio files of my cookbook columns so far. I hope you enjoying listening to them if you get a chance. They’ve been so much fun to write and produce.

I hope to write more here about the various cookbooks I’ve been talking about – especially my interview with Deborah Madison, who wrote Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (and a chance to win a brand-new copy if you listen to Radio Active!).

Enjoy the next few weeks of summer!

Catch of the Day: End of July

I don’t remember exactly what days I took these photos, but I’d like to share them here anyway.

Thoughts on summer + photo catch-up

I was on a bit of a roll with all the posting for a while, wasn't I? Then the full force of summer came along and walloped me.

Back in the spring, I was busy imagining all the oodles of free time I would have with J gone away this summer. I planned a lot of little projects for myself, and made lists of all the chores I've been meaning to do and some of the places in Edmonton I've been meaning to visit.

But that isn't quite what happened. It turns out I am quite good at entertaining myself and becoming rather busy on my own. The time has passed far more quickly than I thought it would, and the few moments in a week when I have nothing planned and nothing to do are getting rare. Not that I mind too much - I like being busy, and spending time with friends is so important. But summer feels like a bit of a whirlwind lately. Especially now that it is so gorgeous outside, I am wishing for a little piece of back yard, a soft blanket, an ice-cold lemonade and some time to lie about.

(Actually, what I'd really like is a stretch of white sandy beach and warm ocean, walking in the sand and on the red cliffs back home. I didn't know how much I'd miss PEI this time of year.)

In any case, all of this means that I have really been slacking on my photo project. I missed several days in the past few weeks, but I vow to get back on track and keep reminding myself to take that daily shot. So instead of the weekly group, here are some of the photos I've snapped recently, in no particular order.

Photos from Eat at the ARTery

Here are some of the photos I took at the ARTery. Sorry it’s taken ne a while to get them up!

Julianna and Sarah at the market, talking to Jennifer from Sundog Organics.

A basket of goodies.

Tiny spring onions from Sparrow’s Nest Organics.

 
Making rhubarb-apple-blueberry crisp.

  

Smoked ham and cheese sandwich with mustard on ciabatta.

Have you ever seen a yolk so big and so yellow?

Eat at the ARTery happens every Saturday at noon. Be sure to visit soon!