Overnight French toast! And to balance all that bread and eggs and milk, a side of fresh fruit. It was so good I promptly asked for the recipe and made it again the weekend after.
The Art of Eating In
I just saw Cathy Erway’s new book, The Art of Eating In, at my local Borders today, and I was fascinated by her experiment to only eat in for two straight years. In New York. Honestly, I’ve been struggling with the frustrations of eating out in LA for so long: it can be very expensive, it can be really unhealthy, and sometimes, it can just plain be not that good.*
Luckily, I love cooking and have a partner who enjoys cooking with me. Most of my favorite meals with him have been when we tried a new recipe together, slapped homemade burgers and skewers on the grill, or eaten a big meal of duck confit with friends.
I’ve been falling in love with eating in since I discovered four years ago how satisfying it is to pour effort into making something delicious and then enjoying it with hungry people around you. I have 6 weeks left in USA before leaving for Seoul and lots of people I want to see again before then. In the spirit of fortuitously picking up Cathy Erway’s book today, I want to make it my mission to only eat in with my friends for the duration of those 6 weeks. I’ll follow the same general rules (I can order beverages), but I’ll also allow myself to eat out with my family, who sometimes really just want to go to a restaurant.
Wish me luck!
*However, there are some eating establishments that I JUST DIE FOR. For example, I’ve only dined at Chez Michel in Paris one time (six months ago), and I STILL dream about the terrine, the salted butter, and the mushroom omelet I had there. Another example: Sometimes, all I want in life is a Bay Cities parma prosciutto sandwich with hot peppers. A third example: I cannot go on too long without a good taco truck taco.
Picnics in Paris
My favorite summertime activity is picnicking. Give me a park, or at least a patch of grass, and I will plop my blanket down anywhere. Everything tastes a little different when you’re picnicking, a little more delicious. Even plain old tuna sandwiches are given a boost by dining al fresco.
A quiche in Nice, France
Caprese and Ham & Cheese sandwiches for Bois de Boulogne, Paris. (made from that morning’s baguette!)
Greek take-out in Craig Park, Brea, California
An impromptu picnic of sweet strawberries and a sandwich at Hyde Park, London
You never know when a dog will take a dip in the lake
I haven’t yet taken a picnic onto a rowboat sadly. the thought just oozes romance and anne of green gables
I love spying on people picnicking. One of my favorite things is drooling over what other people have brought to eat.
And of course I love my own friends, who always indulge me with good food and excellent stories
