my amazing recipe

ok, so it's not *my* recipe, but it *is* amazing...! I made fennel crusted pork with apple cider glaze and 3 apple fennel salad (try saying THAT 10 times in a row!) tonight for the 2nd time since Lisa got me the coolest cookbook I own for Christmas (Top Chef cookbook, for those of you who care). It turned out even better than the first time I made it... it is soooooo delicious!! The best part was that I had leftover glaze from the first time I made it (I was smart enough to freeze it!) so it really only took about a half an hour to make this time (not counting marinading last night). The kitchen table is still covered in papers (yay tax season!) and so I set up the card table and chairs in the family room, put a fire on and we had a little sit down dinner there in front of the fireplace. It was actually a nice treat because the kitchen table has been unusable for a couple of weeks now, so we've been balancing plates on laps a lot... it was nice to sit and eat without the TV on for a change again!

I went a little cook-happy today... I stopped at Crate & Barrel (finally!) to buy my sharpening steel... and an egg cup (didn't mean to walking in, but they were there, and I needed one!!) Then when I got home, I had en email in my inbox from Crate & Barrel announcing up to 70% off in their outlet stores and online... so you *know* I had to at least check it out... and buy 2 bamboo cutting boards, a mortar & pestle, and a christmas gift for mumma for next year (I know, I know...) so now I'm gonna be like a kid on Christmas eve for like a week until the stuff comes in *giddy*!! :o)

I'm excited for next week, when I take my Japanese Sushi class (woohoooooo!!!!) It's the same instructor as the last 2 I've taken and he's soooo great. I really really like him, he is so passionate about food!! He also gives really good tips for "real life" cooking (as opposed to culinary school, 4 star restaurant presentation cooking) so you can adapt your recipes and techniques and ingredients to suit real life. He also has a great sense of humour that apparantly I'm usually the only one who gets him (at least in my other classes that seemed to be the case) Schoolcraft has this amazing kitchen... I feel all professional everytime I walk in!

k, all this talk about food has made me hungry again... time for some milk and oreos!!! :oD