[Breakfast in Sebastopol, November 2008.]
all is said and done with, the dishes washed and put away, the guests departed and already arriving east, the laundry spinning itself into cleanliness, the tail end of a long holiday weekend is a bit melancholy. Lucky, then, that summer came back to San Francisco just for today and [...]

[In the backyard, November 2008.]
Actually, I suppose that should be pre-Thanksgiving lentil soup, because I cooked a big pot of this delicious, vegetable-laden goodness last Tuesday for my office as a little pre-holiday celebration and also to sort of cleanse our palates for the big feast that was to come in just a few days. [...]

Thanksgiving 2008 was chilly and grey, but we managed to sit down early-ish at 4p to dinner. Here, a small sampler of the meal:

Cranberry margaritas, of course, to start things off.

Spanikopita, dolmas, hummus.

The bird.

Lightly sauteed vegetables.

Mushroom galette.

It was a great meal.

[Wildcat Beach, Pt. Reyes National Seashore, July 2008.]
I’m at my parents’ house for the long weekend and the kitchen has been filled up with good smells for days. I worked a half day from home yesterday and then the real work began: I peeled and sliced apples and wound them through a bowl of [...]

[Pumpkin pie, for the office, November 2008.]
In addition to baking biscuits on Sunday afternoon I also baked a pumpkin pie. I thought I’d deviate from my usual — using the recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin puree as my guide and no, in the interest of time I don’t usually roast [...]