Paris Dreaming

Well Odd Bits is off to the printer and I'm now packing and dreaming of Paris. The good news is that the weather there is warm and sunny so I'll be happy to leave cold, wet, windy Toronto.

Hot Cross Buns

Here is what I had for breakfast Easter morning - a toasted  hot cross bun slathered with butter - a perfect breakfast with coffee. They are good fresh baked, but somehow toasting them make everything come together, the dried fruit, candied peel and the spices. Best of all, the butter melts into the bun and drips down your fingers.

Easter Memories

Here is a picture of the cod casserole my mother cooked  this Good Friday in Melbourne, my cousin Robyn took the photo and sent it to me. I wanted to dig right in.

Cheek continued

 

Finally I made  bucatini all'amatriciana. It was so good we ate it twice in one week. I admit it just looks like some spaghetti with tomato sauce and cheese but it is so much more. And the key ingredient is good fatty cheek - guanciale.

More Cheek

Well as you might have guessed cooking a bunch of collards with a little guanciale didn't make much of dint in that cheek.  A friend in Paris gave me some dried peas a while ago and they've been sitting in my cupboard ever since time. Every time I think about cooking them, there isn't time to soak them, but perhaps I didn't need to bother.  However, as I knew they'd relish that pork fat, I planned ahead.