Ahhh, fennel

I discovered something today.  I had bought bulbs of fennel and sliced them thinly for salads.  I like the taste of raw fennel but I knew that cooks like Ina Garten liked it roasted.  I had only seen large slices of fennel roasted and when I pulled my tray from the oven and the thin crispy slices greated me, looking like onion strings, I was delighted.  Then, when I tasted them having sprinkled them with salt and pepper and olive oil, I was transported.  They were accidental and delicious. I quickly put four more bulbs of fennel on my grocery list.  Andy does most of the shopping, going nearly every day, so I don't have long to wait to enjoy this again.

The days are glorious, don't you think?  The doors and windows thrown open with the dogs basking in the sunlight either at the door or just outside. Posy and Bella have a favorite tree where they spend hours gazing up at it, I guess it's the squirrels, who knows?

So my to-do list of six is now whittled down to four.  I am nearly packed saving the important clothes for last so they won't wrinkle.  I am sure Beth has not even started packing and she has much more to remember than I.  She isn't leaving until the 9th and I am leaving in two weeks to the day.

I have schooled Andy as to how to feed the dogs and as far as they are concerned, he knows the rest. I am careful about their food and it comes from the vet, so I feel good about that.  I worry that human food as treats did Winston in, but I hope I am wrong and we will never know. I am taking no chances with the two I have left.

I ordered books uploaded to my Kindle for the trip and have, unfortunately, begun reading them.  I can't resist.  You know what a fan I am of Ruth Reichl's writing.  I am reading her latest Save Me the Plums which I wanted to read on the plane.  But, oh well, I still have her Paris one.  She wrote Comfort Me with Apples and many more.  She was responsible for bringing Gourmet magazine back from the brink of failure years ago and Save Me the Plums is about that time period. Her tenure there was probably her favorite time of life and having to leave was the worst.

My chili, like my meatloaf, is never the same twice.  I made an especially good batch this week and am sharing it like I would bricks of gold. Sparingly.  I serve it with Carfagna's thin, thin, slivers of corn chips, so delicate and so right with this chili.



Enjoy some fennel and these glorious warm summer-like days.