I love fall cooking. Growing the babe means that I'm paying attention to my diet, trying to eat more whole grains, nuts, and green things. Have you tried honeycrisp apples this season? With some firm cheese and a cup of tea they're my favorite snack. Except, of course, for the quick breads. I'm taking inspiration from Deb at Smitten Kitchen and Jess at Sweet Amandine--in the last few weeks I've made banana bread, zucchini bread, a free-form apple tart, and now I have an apple cake in the oven. The kitchen is warm and the house smells delicious.

I'm reading a compilation of Elizabeth David's food writing, South Wind Through the Kitchen, something I picked up off the remainders section at my favorite bookseller. I've heard of her, but never read her, before now. Lovely! Charming! I can't wait for this baby to come, partly because I can't wait to see his sweet face, but mostly so that I can try some of these recipes with a glass of wine! I'm having a bit of grief, too, that grown-up kind that you get after you've made decisions that you're happy with, but sad because it means other paths are closed to you. I want to go to Provence! But until then, I'm happy to let Elizabeth David take me there.

This is the season I want to learn about pastries! I bought Tartine Bakery's cookbook recently, and I can't wait to try the croissants and brioche! Maybe I'll even learn to photograph them.

It's fall again

So much has changed. The spring was hard on me. I needed to get away, so I packed up my lovely flat on Alamo Square and went to Europe and Asia. I learned so much about food in Italy! It is so restorative to travel there, there is so much room to live your life: get up in the morning, have a cappuccino and cornetto standing at the bar at the neighborhood cafe, wander around the city eating gelato and snapping photos until lunchtime. Sit down, smoke a cigarette, dine alone on pasta or pizza and a carafe of wine. Wander into a cheese shop. Taste cheese. Duck into a cafe for an espresso and to use the loo. A museum. More gelato. More wine. Aperitivo. A late dinner. Enjoyment rather than entertainment.

My honey met me on a tropical island. We learned to scuba together, ate sexy soft sweet fruit, made some friends, and made a baby.

Now we're back, cozy in our new (to us) little house. I'm being a house wife for the moment, cooking fall food, and growing this babe. It's a boy.

I would like to write more, but mostly about food and baby. Learn to take pictures. My belly is getting big. I'm looking forward to a very cozy winter.