use real butter

We never get to bed early. Even when we do get to bed early, we read, talk, get back up and take care of things we forgot to take care of, play with Kaweah (or fight with her over space on the bed)… Last night was no exception. So this morning, I woke up and asked Jeremy if he wanted to go for a hike. I knew he didn’t. If you ask Jeremy every morning (when I wake up) if he wants to go for a hike, the answer is probably going to be “no” 90% of the time, because he likes to sleep. But I hate to sleep, and I like to hike early, and so his answer is usually a question, “Do you want to go for a hike?” Even if I don’t feel like going, I say, “yes” to force myself to get out because I usually don’t regret it. And so Jeremy eventually drags his ass out of bed and we are on our way. This morning, our goal was Mount Toll.

Mount Toll is an extra mile tacked on to the Pawnee Peak trip with a 500 foot drop and a 500 foot scramble up the southwestern slopes to the summit. When we got above Lake Isabelle, it was cold and windy – autumn. When we approached Pawnee Pass, it was colder and windier. Atop Pawnee Peak we eyed Mount Toll and debated what to do. It was 11 am, we had a party to get to in Boulder at 4 pm, we estimate it would take an hour to reach Toll’s summit. So it was a quick decision to leave off and try Toll some other time. It is the same height as Pawnee Peak, so we didn’t feel like we missed out too much. It was good to hike a 10-miler because I don’t think I have gotten any decent exercise since we backpacked the Bells.

jeremy points to paiute peak

**Jump for more butter**

choosing carefully, choosing well
I made it out to Williams-Sonoma as I was ready to shop for a new addition to my cookware. I got to use the certificate that Michelle gave me – which makes it all the more special. I have been slowly acquiring The Array of Cookware that suits my needs. I hate cooksets. Here is why: No serious cook will ever find the ideal pan for every need in a cookset. It is impossible. Cooksets don’t come with a cast iron skillet for one thing. Secondly, none of the surfaces are all-purpose enough if your repertoire spans more than three styles of cooking. I have an excellent sauté pan for searing. I have an excellent double boiler for pastries and confections. I have a lovely non-stick griddle pan… What I wanted was a high quality non-stick pan for stir fry. I have plenty of workhorse non-sticks, but few can withstand the high heat without warping for more than two or three years.

getting technical about chinese cooking
Some people are intimidated when they walk into Williams-Sonoma because the staff are very knowledgable. I wish REI employees knew as much about the gear they sell as WS employees know about the equipment they sell. These people COOK. So I inquired about the 8.5 quart non-stick dutch oven. The lady didn’t understand why you would want one non-stick. I explained that I wanted it for chinese cooking – that woks are only useful under flames that few domestic ranges can produce and that the high sides of a dutch oven and the wide base allow for clean tossing and even heating for all ingredients. She was intrigued and we discussed the technique at length. She asked if I would invite her over for dinner sometime! In the end, the race between Calphalon and All Clad has been tied in my kitchen. I came away with this:

**Jump for more butter**

It’s official: Jeremy is taking the Hubble to Boulder!

A la Howard Dean:
“Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg!”

To celebrate, we grilled sandwiches (my second favorite food next to sushi) on my NEW pan. It arrived today in the mail courtesy Williams-Sonoma and some bucks.

Williams-Sonoma uses way too much packaging in their shipping.