Blue Devils win, Ol on the mend, awesome pasta din

It has been such fun for me to watch J's baseball team -the cutest, mostly-scrawny, mostly-clueless-re-baseball kids- come together over the past nearly-two seasons. Last year was borderline hysterical; few of the kids knew the rules of the game. Fielding? Running when you actually hit the ball? The Blue Devils were a darling learn-as-you-go band of brothers that finished the season 0-8. This year, however, as if Coach K came aboard, they're 3-2 (I think) and everything is coalescing beautifully. I'm not a terribly skilled athlete in any way so it's never mattered a lick to me if they win or lose. But for them, after a while, it really does matter, and I'm so happy that they're experiencing victory. J had two hits and an RBI tonight, and when he and T returned home, we had a fine celebration.

Y'all, look at these mushrooms! I didn't use them tonight but plan to on Tuesday. Tomorrow night, two friends and I are going to hear Yotam (Ottolenghi) and Sami (Tamimi) speak, and I am totally grooved about it. I did, tonight, concoct a fabulous pasta dish for which I will work up a recipe to share. It was absolutely fabulous! Like, if I'd ordered it in a restaurant, I'd have been thrilled and later tried to recreate it at home.

Olive oil, eggplant, peperoncino, fennel, lots of chopped fennel fronds, lemon zest, salt-packed capers, dates, pecorino, sweet Italian sausage and pici. Mamma mia! The sweet elements in concert with the savory, the umami layered in with the salt and starches...Heaven.