Taller Dome

I wrote this to a friend today:

My mind was focused too much on getting ready for my class which I loved. Every time I go there and walk around the store, I am in heaven. Every aisle...every gadget...every bottled or packaged ingredient makes me smile happily. I really don't feel like that in any other kind of store. Okay, I lied -- I love Sephora, but you get what I mean.

Part two of my knife skills class was this morning. It was a review of last week, a few more techniques and a lesson on mandolines which I appreciated. I have a mandoline but it is not as easy as the OXO version demonstrated today. Our class worked together to make grilled vegetable paninis and an apple slaw with cranberries. I had wine with mine, a nice reward for working in the kitchen for an hour and a half. Sounded good didn't it?

I left with a bag of goodies like a silicone brush, more jalapeno lemongrass dippy thing, a cooking magazine and the salt cellar/salt pig below. Making do with a small ceramic container was over. It was time for a more dignified container which I quickly filled with Kosher salt. Oh! I also bought a mini-loaf of banana bread that had baked in the oven during our class. That was not the cool part -- the owner/chef gave the price to the clerk and left the register for the culinary center to retrieve the choicest loaf with a taller dome shape on top. I was caught off guard with his thoughtfulness. Was it another way the universe giving the message that we're finding the best and giving it to you? I'd like to think so anyway.




While I was in the kitchen taking pics anyway, let me share the idea of Tickling Your Mushrooms. My stepmother told me years ago about tickling your mushrooms which meant using a mushroom brush to clean fresh raw mushrooms. Some people do use a kitchen towel or paper towel to get a job done; however, I am sure it is not as much fun. Dull moments are rare in my kitchen.


One of the stuffed mushrooms I had this evening and views my mushroom tickler. Yes, it makes me giggle and feel naughty, too.


BRILLIANCE...Here was a remarkable human being who left our earthly plane last week but not before he gave us a glimpse of heaven: You will LOVE LOVE LOVE this: The Last Lecture. It is a little over and hour, but you will be riveted. For a reprise and shorter version, please watch Randy Pausch here on Oprah.

Three of the many spokes of wisdom Randy shared were:

1) Brick walls are there for a reason: They let us prove how badly we want things.
2) If we do something which is pioneering, we will get arrows in the back. But at the end of the day, a whole lot of people will have a whole lot of fun.
3) If you live properly, your dreams will come to you.

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Taller Dome