Friday, July 17, 2009

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.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Jeff - can't find an email or contact form on your site - you just won a Good Things Blog Award on my site (marthaandme.net). I tried to paste in the code here for you if you want to use the award but it won't let me put HTML through in a comment. Shoot me an email brette@brettesember.com and I'll send it to you.

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  2. I won an award?? I love awards!!!

    Hey Brette-
    Thank you! I just checked out your site (which you know I love), and I so appreciate your acknowledging my blog with a Good Things Blog Award. I'm honored!
    Congratulations on your Ripe Tomato Award!
    Here's the link.

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  3. Congratulations on your award! So well-deserved. And on another note, isn't milk supposed to be the antidote to hot peppers, etc.?

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  4. Thanks, Annie!
    I don't know anything about the milk cure.... Do you put it on your hands or in your mouth?

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  5. Both, as far as I know. I haven't actually tried it.

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