back on track with new ideas and inspiration

since the move i haven’t been cooking, except for the night when i burned the quesadilla. i’ve wanted to, but i’m still feeling a bit overwhelmed from all of the packing and unpacking and trying, above all, to be logical and sensible and not squander this blank-slate opportunity to really set things up the way i want them. i’ve had my chocolate-coconut-cookie recipe from chocolatechocolate open on the counter for a week, and that’s even before i left for paris.

fortunately for me, the combination of paris and two donna leon books in a week has renewed my appetite for cooking challenges. i am now determined to renew my efforts and master croissants, crepes, marshmallows and macaroons. probably some madeleines as well.

and in order to keep my head from spinning overmuch, i’m going to emulate the cream puff in venice blog and concentrate on a “flavor of the month”--choose a cookbook and resolve to cook at least once a week out of it until i feel i’ve tried what i want to try. right now i’m leaning toward “everyday pasta” as my first selection. as far as my baking and dessert needs go, my supplementary flavor of the month will be “the perfect scoop” in preparation for summer, perhaps, or at the very least i will finally try that macaroon recipe i stashed away with the blood orange curd.

and of course, the mounds bar cookies.