Cookery Bookery

Oh, our first couple celebrations of Christmas were lovely affairs, the first at home, just us, and the second at the in-laws' with lots of family. One item I was excited to receive was a 1969 edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and her two French cohorts. The movie Julie & Julia, which I love, as well as the yummy-looking creations I see on blogs and on Pinterest inspired me to get a bit more creative and skillful in the cooking department, so I'm excited (and a little intimidated) by the prospect of tackling some of the techniques and recipes in this book.

I also was happy to get a huge stock pot for making stock and for use in preparing jams and other items for canning. Now I will be able to make turkey stock in just one pot rather than using two dutch ovens (those are the shorter 12-inch pots, right?) and I won't be brought to the edge of a nervous episode while I wait for my jam to be at a rolling boil for a full minute as I watch the foam rise faster and faster and faster up the sides of the pot . Plus, I'm betting there will be far less spattered jam on the stove and walls to clean up. Oh, and making a ton of mashed potatoes will be easier, too.

In addition to these cookery items, I used a generous Amazon gift card to purchase small ramekins for baking eggs and personal-size desserts, two 6-quart dough buckets for my artisan bread dough, and a great omelette pan.

So I guess I'll really have to make sure I exercise daily with all the good food I'm hoping to create with these wonderful gifts.