Scrumptious dinner

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Farmers who don't just sit around profiting from the Farm Bill deserve a lot of credit for hard work. Tom and I worked our tails off outside for several hours today digging, leveling and perfecting the foundation for the playhouse we're building for the boys. And we are sooo tired. And we haven't even started constructing the thing. Which is a 7x9 cozy cabin. With four window-boxes. Mon dieu.

But all good and all fun. And we were rewarded with a fabulous dinner. Potatoes Anna a la Nora Ephron, and beef filets with creamed chard and red wine and shallot sauce a la Florence Fabricant. Fabulous, delicious, the longest two recipes I feel I've ever freaking made. Why do I not read through them first?! Nora asks you to dry each 1/16" round of potato with a paper towel, one at a time. Florence asks so very much too. Regardless, both made for a delicious dinner, and I feel happy to be invoking Nora tonight post-Heartburn.

I also opened for us a fabulous bottle of 2008 Hall Cabernet Franc. I love Cab Franc. It is so under-rated!

Over the hump, cooking!

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I was teary on and off yesterday without the boys but today am on the mend and ready for this wonderful staycation. Though I grumbled a bit about fasting and scooting out early this morning for my doc appointment, she was fabulous, and I actually had a great time. It was as if we had been separated at birth or were best friends in a former life, so natural was our laughter and seemingly similar personalities. At the least, I am sure she won't tell me I've packed some on around my middle and to avoid the damn quiche, per the last physician. On my walk, yes walk! another plus!, home, I sensed a craving welling up inside me, and before I knew it, I had detoured to Wagshal's for Amish slab bacon, avocados, and arugula. I also bought some gorgeous figs and large quantities of chicken breasts. At this point it was 10:30 or so and keep in mind the fasting I'd had to do. Perhaps that explains the large amount of food I schlepped home. In any case, I knew I simply must have an avocado, bacon, tomato and arugula mayo sandwich on whole wheat sourdough, and so that will come to fruition soon. In the meantime, my hunger necessitated that I have some actual breakfast first so I devoured a rhubarb scone (learn to love your freezer, peeps!) and a coffee while poaching the figs.

Have you poached figs, using my recipe or another? I am always struck by how they stretch and expand in such a dramatically taut way while in the hot liquid, as if they received too large breast implants. The internal pressure from the heat and steam makes their skins shine, stretched like a perfectly smooth forehead, but they never quite burst although you're certain they will at any moment. And then as they cool, they deflate some, sinking back in on themselves, ready to be plunged back into the now-tepid syrup and enjoyed, with some ricotta, plain or in any other number of ways.

Now I'm off to make that sandwich...