use real butter

Last night I had my last class and finished my pastry course! I felt both relief and sadness. Sadness, because I love the class and my instructor and most of the people in the class. Actually, we were missing several people (again!) last night. Everyone who showed up was pretty dedicated from the get go, and it was nice to bake with all of them one last time. I was relieved because I have been acquiring so much information that there is a backlog of stuff I need to process and ingest on my own before I feel I’ve mastered it and can move on. While we sat around eating our light dinner of soup and salad and bread, three of us were analyzing the soup, trying to pinpoint all of the flavors and the sources of those flavors. I like foodies. There aren’t enough of them in my life. Elena lives in the next state, Kell is in the next hemisphere, Nicole is moving to Seattle, Fiona moved to Australia… and everyone else is scattered like gunshot (i.e. not here). *sigh*

shan demos string work with royal icing

**Jump for more butter**

I’ll first begin with the sweet. Yesterday, I picked up TWO packages from the post office. One was from Australia, so I immediately knew that was from Kell. The other… the other was – the long lost package that Amos and Louie sent over three months ago! I had even called the freaking Ned post office to inquire and they told me they had never seen it. When I got it yesterday, the postal worker (my favorite one, she’s quite nice) looked at the date and said, “March?! I’ve seen this thing in the back forever!” I think it might have remained in the back forever if Amos hadn’t called and raised a little hell.

Kell and Jerad sent me the sweetest card congratulating me on my defense, and a book that all of the foodies have been reading. Plus, a long handwritten letter from Kell, something that people just don’t seem to do as much of anymore. I cherished every last scribble. Amos and Louie had more official looking stuff in their package – US Marshall sportswear! So cool. Louie is what is right with federal law enforcement. They also included Louie’s favorite movie of all time: Anchorman. Jeremy wanted to watch it right away, but we had stuff to do. I loved Elf, so hopefully Anchorman will be just as funny.

loot from care packages: thanks kell, jerad, amos, and louie!

In an effort to use up egg yolks and to test a new recipe:

i made earl grey crème brûlée today

We have returned from the Land of Hot, that being New Mexico. Mind you, it’s a dry heat. And despite everyone who rolls their eyes when someone discusses dry heat, 100 is definitely tolerable dry than humid. Jeremy, being a native son of New Mexico, used to wax nostalgic for his homelands all the time. But these days I think the romance has faded just a little for him. I think Colorado is what puts an extra spring in his step, not to mention the immensely long ski season. There is something to be said for coming home to 58 degrees in the mountains to have the rich smell of pine forest fill your nostrils as you hose the dog down for a bath.

It was a bit of a mental shock to go from Grandma Darling’s lack of short term memory and endless repeat of the same 7 stories (at least it was 7 and not 1) to fully engaged discussions with my aunt. I’m lucky to have her in my closest circle of friends. We talk about food, relationships, professional issues, politics, gardening, more food, our family, raising children, raising pets, cultural issues, diversity, all sorts of stuff.

Elena and family have lived in Los Alamos for almost 5 years now. We drove down 2 years ago when they were in the midst of overhauling the backyard. It used to be a bit of a mess from the previous owners and Elena had a master plan. The woman has impeccable taste – classy, elegant, unique, beautiful. It shows in her art, her clothes, her house, her garden. In two years, I’ve let my yard grow more weeds. In two years, she transformed a dirt and grass yard into this:

just half of the the fabulous garden at elena’s house

**Jump for more butter**