I am a fool for offal

"Why is it worse, in the end, to see an animal's head cooked and prepared for our pleasure than a thigh or a tail or a rib? If we are going to live on other inhabitants of this world we must not bind ourselves with illogical prejudices, but savour to the fullest the beasts we have killed." (How to Cook a Wolf, MFK Fisher)

Show me good charcuterie and I will show you a happy man. What am I doing working in an office all day when what I really want to do is to be a maker of fine sausages?

An update on my recent culinary and gastronomical adventures:

1. I just spent the last 30 minutes reading about making cassoulet. As soon as I find out from Simon's mom where I can get ducks around these parts, and as soon as Katy makes good on her promise of giving me that duck fat, I promise I will attempt it. I have been craving a good cassoulet for weeks now, and unfortunately just last night I was stopped from entering a perfectly pleasant-looking bistro that not only had cassoulet on the menu, but also onglet and frites - and dragged off to eat sub-par Asian food instead. It still rankles, a little - but with time I will learn to forgive the people I was with.

2. The other day I made potatoes dauphinoise, and I felt ill for a week. So good, but so bad for you. And definitely not for the lactose-intolerant. Also, I need one of those little zesters to grate nutmeg with - it shall be the next item on my nesting-acquisition wishlist.

3. I think that I make a mean chicken cacciatore - and it saddens me that I have not made it for more among my nearest and dearest, I don't think. I am going to make a huge pot of it tomorrow night and eat it into next week, by which time it will be fabulous - like that one time when we made boeuf bourguignon and had leftovers which I ate the next day and then splooged myself. I like boeuf bourguignon because I have historically only made it for people I am fond of; and also because every time I have it I think of me, sitting in my room all alone that afternoon eating the leftover boeuf bourguignon with a spoon, out of a tupperware - and almost going crazy with not being able to share it with anyone or tell anyone how good it was. I don't remember where Morgan and Evan had gone that fine day but there was nobody around to try the frickin boeuf bourguignon and it drove me frickin nuts. Moral of the story: refrigerate and reheat = recipe for success.

4. While we're on the topic of food that I've made for people I am fond of - I have not made or had steak with Roquefort sauce since sophomore year when Morgan and I made it for Alethea. It was mostly Morgan though, in no small part due to the fact that I was otherwise busy jumping up and down with excitement and being silly and then I had to go meet Alethea outside Ashamu. It was such a wonderful evening; Alethea was such a delight and Elisabeth and Michelle joined us for some very charming post-dinner conversation. It almost makes me never want to have steak with Roquefort sauce, ever again. Almost.

God, I love eating. Apologies for the rambling.