Briefly, Cook the Books 2013: Mile End Cookbook

I put my library request in early, I swear. But it was Passover and it seemed like I wasn't ever going to get my hands on a loaner copy of The Mile End Cookbook for April's Cook the Books due to the number of holds ahead of me... But then a librarian friend introduced me to the brilliance that is Link+, and thanks to inter-library coordination it was ready for me to pick up at my local branch within a few days. I was over the moon pleased with myself, and I settled in to flipping through the recipes and hungry thoughts of making cinnamon buns and challah, lotsa pickles, and a bunch of different kinds of latkes, to start.

But with taxes due and a barely planned vacation to take, it turned out that for most of April I was swimming with fishes in Mexico instead of cooking at home.

So this month is short and sweet, with just two simple dishes cooked but (as usual) many more savored with my eyeballs. I was also proud because not only did I use up a lot of things in the fridge before leaving the country (greens and herbs from the swap, bacon, salami, eggs, etc.), I also did not need to buy anything specifically for these recipes, except the beans!

Mish-Mash - This recipe caught my eye immediately. Salami with eggs? Yes please. With just a few ingredients, this is great and easy-to-prepare meal which will be on the menu at our joint going forward for sure.

As I sought ways to cook anything amid the pre-trip crunch, it turned out the Maple Baked Beans were just the thing to take to a friend's BBQ. They were very tasty on grilled sausages, and we ate the leftovers as beans on toast with eggs as our last dinner at home. Breakfast for dinner, always a winner.

Next up for May is Tender by Nigel Slater. And I can sure do with some veggies in my diet after all those tacos and beer!

Boozy Swap Recap x2: January & April presented in pictures (and glasses)

We had a packed house for our January swap, and a big crowd for our 2 year anniversary swap in April too. The most noticeable theme? Booze! Yup, at the January swap we had bourbon cocktails being made to order as samples the awesome Earl Grey Soda Syrup shown below, plus a couple homemade wines on another table, and the April swap had not one but THREE kinds of alcoholic beverages on offer for the potluck, plus cordials and other spirited elixirs on the swapping block. There were even flavored sugars for cocktail glass rims. Now you know how SF swappers roll...

Along with the alcohol there was a lot of garden fresh produce, so it really felt like spring up at our April swap.

There was so much other good stuff too! But, I'm off to Mexico in a couple days, and am trying to cram a lot in before I leave, so am keeping this post short. I did just finish my taxes though, so cheers to that! Since this snapshot view has no doubt left you wanting more, go peruse the full photo galleries from both swaps here and here. Then mark your calendar tentatively for the first weekend in June.