AliThinks

Comes A Time

Sometimes you have a task. It's not something you have to do for work or school or whatever. It's just something you have to undertake, simply because you must.

Right now I have a task. I don't know how long it will take, nor what the final result will be.

All I know is, I'm 5000 words in.

Twitch, Twitch

Lately my Internet time has been spent on Twitter. In the past couple of weeks, it's mushroomed as a place for local (or hyperlocal, even) happenings, news, and community.

This morning I got locked out of my Twitter account after trying to access it, then changing my password. Twitter wants me to "chillax" (no, really, it's right there on the screen) and I'm trying. I'm really trying. Trouble is, I'm afraid I'll miss something. Ten days ago I missed an amazing community outpouring that occurred during a city council session because I was at work.

*****

Speaking of work, I'm here now. Or there now. Whatever. I'm at my place of unemployment. HA! I'm totally leaving that lapsus, because this really doesn't feel like a JOB. And that? Is awesome. 

In any case, I won't get the Twitter DTs, because my workplace now has an account (which I set up, but it wasn't for my own benefit, honest) and I can get my local fix. And hey, if I remain locked out of Twitter at home, maybe I'll write in this blog more often. Maybe I'll write about how Twitter and Facebook help build communities.

I Am Such A Trendsetter*

Via Loulou on Facebook, I got this:

The warm days of spring have finally arrived, and all the wines stores have received their deliveries of rosé wines. As I mentioned in my rosé wine post last year, I simply adore rosé wines. Each year the choice of dry, food-friendly rosé wines seems to grow exponentially. And this year is no different. The rosé renaissance continues at full speed. Rosé wines are among the most versatile wines at the table, ranging from the lighter styles that can be sipped on their own, right through to more full-bodied styles that can accompany robust meat dishes.

Hey, it's great that big-time websites are touting the rosé. It means that we can get past The Bane That Is White Zinfandel.

But I have to say, I was on this three years ago. See here (a reprint of a wine blogger) and here. And never mind that I was drinking rosé from my first summer in France (in 1992, holy crap), and fully embraced it every spring and summer during the time I lived there. It's just part of the warm weather rituals there.

These days I'll choose a Spanish or South American rosé over a French one, because the prices are better. My favorite local wine shop doesn't have any rosé in yet, but I've been drinking a South American Malbec rosé that I found at the liquor store down the street, and it's most delicious.

What's your favorite wine, if you drink it?

*Haha.

**Also, I have been sitting on this entry for FOUR days. The blog mojo. It is fleeting.

I Done Been Cookin'*

Earlier today I read Loulou's blog post about pasta with salmon and peas, and decided to make it. As I commented on her post, I probably wasn't going to follow her recipe, but she did inspire me.

On a weird whim, I decided to broadcast my cooking. It's been six months since I've used USTREAM, so I dusted off my login and started a broadcast. Allan helpfully posted a link to my broadcast on Twitter and elsewhere, and pretty soon I had a few viewers. Woo-hoo!

I stopped the broadcast while I was waiting for the pasta water to boil; the salmon and peas and cream were ready to go. Mari was watching, and she asked me to post a photo of the finished product. This is for you, Mari:

Because you can't go wrong with Loulou's recipe, I'll just tell you what I did differently:

• I only used olive oil. (Lexington locals, I buy my olive oil in bulk a refillable bottle at Lexington Seafood on E. High.)
• I used a medium-sized onion instead of shallot, because I had no shallots.
• I used half and half instead of whipping or heavy cream.
• I forgot the chèvre. (And we had some lovely goat "cheddar" from a Ozark Hill Farms, no linky.)
• I used eensy-weensy farfalle instead of little shells.

Something tells me that Loulou's recipe turned out better than mine did. But! I had fun cooking, and it was tasty. And! I made a salad of romaine hearts and homemade vinaigrette.

Here's the recipe for my vinaigrette, with full props to my ex-husband, who taught me how to make it:

1 part dijon mustard
1 part vinegar (red wine, white wine, rice)
2 parts olive oil (or canola oil)

Whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a bowl until homogeneous. Add sea salt to taste, and blend. Add olive oil drop by drop, then in a thin stream, whisking the entire time (pretend you're making mayonnaise) until the oil is incorporated into the mustard/vinegar. Taste, and add more oil or vinegar if needed. Add a few grinds of pepper to taste, and mix. Drizzle onto salads, steamed vegetables, avocados, or whatever strikes your fancy.

So. Mmmm, yeah. Bon ap! Next time I broadcast my cooking, I'll storyboard it (okay, maybe not) and record it so I can post a link here.

*It's not as if I never cook. I just don't blog about it.

Revisiting Old Friends

Writers need to read. Every writer knows it. I've been absorbing books lately. I'd say I was devouring them, but that seems like a cliché, doesn't it? It's apt, however. I'm ravenous for stories.

I'm in the middle of rereading the Austin Family Chronicles by Madeleine L'Engle, who's one of my favorite authors. I loved her Wrinkle In Time books as a teen, and was comforted by The Summer of The Great-Grandmother when I was a new mother. That sweet child of mine is now fourteen, and the Austin Family books are hers; they were a Christmas gift, and she left them here.

It's been 25 years since I've read these books, and they're still relevant. In fact, these books are 40+ years old, but it doesn't matter. Only a few things seem dated. The interactions and relationships are still fresh, but human nature doesn't change much, does it?

I remember the characters well, and I'm pleased to be spending time with them again. 

Who are you spending time with these days?