Happy New Year!
I have been up these past few nights wondering what to write on the blog. I'm not one for "resolutions" this time of year, as I don't usually remember them past the end of my nose. Also, I'm none too good at finishing what I start.
A Thanksgiving-acquired Facebook friend asked this question on her page: instead of resolutions, why not make "New Years Goals?" The idea struck me as intriguing and wonderful. Why not make an attainable, realistic goal for yourself, one that is measurable and fixed. These two words, "goal" and "resolution," are interchangeable depending on context, of course, but I'll use the former because it's what suits me best. Ha.
I've been reading a few books lately, mostly as presents from Christmas. The first, Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri, has been a feast for my brain. Her writing is lush and enticing. Her stories often border on suspense and mystery, leaving you hungry for more. I have been inspired by her writing in ways I'm still not fully sure. Suffice to say I had goosebumps throughout reading, and finished the book faster than I've ever finished a book before (three days!).
The second book, Beaten, Seared, and Sauced, by Jonathan Dixon, is a nonfiction work based on the author's experiences at The Culinary Institute of America, often considered the best culinary school in the world. I am about a third of the way through at a speed just as fast as Lahiri's book; Dixon is a great storyteller who makes you feel as though he is in front of you with a bottle of wine, pouring and telling you another interestingly juicy bit.
Dixon's book has provided inspiration for my own kitchen. I am in no way considering culinary school (seriously, I wouldn't hack it a day--Nursing School was hard enough). An ongoing theme, at least so far, in the book has been about the importance of decreasing waste--both for the animal and vegetable alike.
I set a few New Years Goals about two days ago--I wanted them to be realistic, measurable, attainable, and fixed. The main goal was to set about reading all of the books I had laying about the house that I had either began and not finished, or had bought and never even started.
After getting through parts of Dixon's book, however, I may have to add an addendum to that. I want to decrease waste in the kitchen, either by buying only what is needed in the first place, or finding ways to compost or re-purpose what I don't use. This is simple enough, but I noticed after purging my fridge this morning that it will take constant vigilance. We'll see where these goals take me--what an adventure!
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