Day 120 - Fourth Tally!

Four months... and so much has happened!

I've actually spoken to Martha on the phone (on live radio)!

The movie version of my inspiration for this project, Julie and Julia, is getting ready to open.

And I've completed...


•drumroll•


...175 of the 356* recipes in the book! I'm almost halfway there!!

I'd like to take this opportunity to voice a couple of random thoughts and concerns:

First of all, how did I miss soft shell crab season? I've been asking for them at Fairway for weeks, and they've never had them. And now I think I've missed the window completely. Crap.

Second, a piece of advice to pass on to you. If you are going to work with chilies or spicy peppers, wear gloves and/or wash your hands vigorously afterward. I was making a soup that called for a small dried chili, and I pulled out the seeds and the ribs to defuse some of the spiciness. I was also making chocolate cupcakes at the same time, and after I stripped the pepper, I popped the cupcakes out of the muffin tin. When I went to put a fallen crumb in my mouth, my tongue caught on fire! Everything I had touched, including several of the cupcakes, had been covered with a layer of invisible fiery dust! I washed my hands and put my finger to my tongue - still outrageously hot. Washed again, only slightly less hot. Three more times, and it started to equalize. Chilies are serious business!

Thanks for reading!

Until we eat again....

P.S. I should probably mention that FNBF and I have parted ways. It feels strange to be continuing this project without him - cooking with/for him was one of the things that kick-started this project to begin with. I'll always cherish the time we spent together and the meals we shared.

*You may have noticed that the total number of recipes in the book has changed from tally to tally. As I've become more familiar with the book, some of the things I originally counted as recipes or lessons now seem more like chapter headings (i.e. How to Cut Butter into Flour) so I've cut them, and other things that I overlooked, i.e. certain recipe variations like Brown Chicken Stock, have been added.