Dear friend Alexandria came for a weekend of sunshine and friendship (and to escape from the snows of Colorado) so of course to celebrate we had to eat horribly. Grilled PB & J’s, taco trips, drive throughs (MacD’s for Alex, Starbs for Anne), brownies and ice cream (the only good thing in our caf is Ben & Jerry’s, thus we’ve tried almost every flavor- Whirled Peace is the favorite), and as a last Sunday night hurrah, Sonny’s BBQ. Alex tried to get us to go to Sonny’s for an entire semester, without success. Finally, I’ve been to the temple of smoky pork and sweet cornbread she’s been raving about. Correctly fearing colossal portions, we split a meal (much to the disbelief of our waitress) which consisted of a mound of pulled pork, slices of brisket, a baseball sized dollop of Velveeta Mac (I did not partake. Sorry, cheese should require refrigeration), a bowl of pork-spotted mapley baked beans (this, on the other hand, I can love), and two little loaves of cakey cornbread. Alex was right. It was dang good. (Despite its not-so-photogenic-ness.)
So post-BBQ-tacos-ice cream, one must cleanse. Enter: brussel sprouts. “You’re the only person I know who likes those…” said roommate Destiny. What? Why is everyone a brussel-hater? Those things are good. Barbie-sized cabbage! Browned in your Christmas cast-iron skillet with a ton of red pepper? Yeah. Yes.
I just got a big box from Idaho full of un-packed presents that I got to joyfully re-open…thrilling. Trader Joe’s pasta and cookies, jars of spicy sauces from Morocco and Georgia, a bag bulging with Russian candies, the cast-iron skillet, Market Spice tea and paprikas, and my beloved egg poaching pan. (And Tibetan prayer flags so I can have a true college dorm.) And…the loveliest bit…a tiny Le Creuset pie pan. Can’t resist it, had to make a mini pie. Apple, strawberry, blueberry pie. With a lattice top because we all know procrastination breeds productivity and pie making > philosophy homework.
P.S. New photos of a protest for fair food!
anna cotta 