[My true love, roasted cauliflower, November 2008.]
The air smells delicious up north especially when it rains, as it did on Saturday; on the drive back to West County I rolled down the window for a minute to let in all the good smells in of water and damp roads and grass and earth. Today [...]

[Trees, Pierce Ranch, November 2008.]
Yesterday I went to Pt. Reyes with some old pals and walked along a nearly-deserted Keyhoe Beach and took photos and caught up and it was just lovely. We stopped at Cowgirl Creamery on the way — my first time! mon dieu! — and I bought some cards and R [...]

[Sunday night dinner, November 2008.]
Okay. Lately it seems like all I’ve been doing is baking — and it’s true that my oven’s been getting more of a workout than usual. I’ve scraped the sugar jar completely bare (maybe not a bad thing?) and gone through more butter than any person has a [...]

[Red velvet birthday cake, November 2008.]
The other night when I went running — for the first time in the dark after months and months of post-work light, alas — the moon rose out of the west very pale and bright, just a shimmering sliver. I thought about what would or wouldn’t happen the next [...]

[Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, November 2008.]
Here’s the thing about these cookies: I baked them by candlelight. No, really. I did. See, just as I was gearing up to put the first batch in the oven and settle in with a tall glass of iced cranberry juice for Saturday Night Live’s “Presidential Bash,” [...]