Now a cantankerous baby, a mother who hasn't found a minute to breakfast, a wildly untidy apartment, a plateful of roasted peppers stubbornly refusing skinnage, a forlorn bunch of bananas discovered in a plastic bag on the floor -- now that can only be described as bad.
But a dear generous friend who spirits away the unhappy baby for two hours and returns her giggling, a mother who finally manages to put away all the laundry, some freshly-filled jars of muhammara and hot banana bread for tea -- now that can only be very good. Especially when dinner is on the balcony amidst sunshine and so many birds.
PS: Some Tuesday-night tinkering on the site design. Do comment or email if you have strong opinions!
Good for you! And what a friend. I guess I now know what to expect!
That muhammara looks yummy. New to me, thanks!
I really love your new look - the posts seem to have a more central place. It is all even more pleasing and calming to the eye.
Posted by: Jo Spittler | 20 May 2009 at 06:57 AM
pomegranate molasses - honestly?
Posted by: Katherine | 21 May 2009 at 01:38 AM
Jo, I'm glad you like the new design! Katherine, well, honestly? No. Instead I used a dollop of the malted barley syrup that's been hanging around my cupboard for a while, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Further departures from the recipe included roasting my own peppers (of course) and whizzing rice cakes to smithereens to use instead of fresh breadcrumbs and using roasted garlic not fresh garlic and paprika and chili powder and ras el hanout instead of the spices and seasonings they recommended, and, finally, just eyeballing the olive oil but using much less than the 3/4 C the recipe called for. But what are a few substitutions among friends? And yes, I really owe you a letter now!
Posted by: Berlin Reified | 21 May 2009 at 09:11 AM