I sent away for various vinegars, and seem to have got a duplicate going, but it was confusing, mainly since some were not available, and my ordering got a bit out of order. My current repertoire
But it's all good, and you will never hear me moaning that I can't get malt vinegar ever again. Lifetime supply. See that basket of little packets!
But the places we'll go, the dishes we'll try! Because I'm worth it.
The bottle of malt was a mistake for red wine out of stock. And the little packets of malt are great, just rather a lot.
Big red notice on the inner box of packets: do not cut into this box you will damage the contents. Hard to get in without cutting at least the tape. And indeed that punctured a packet, little fountain, lovely smell and just missed my eye. Tight packed. Somebody used to packing sardines? Some of the packets may end in handsome son's kitchen, he being a pretty good cook who uses condiments.
This beautiful little guy expired on my door mat. Look at the color. If anyone knows what he was in life please say. I've seen this insect on the sage and other flowers.
And since the long awaited Mantel arrived, that's the current reading. The last in the trilogy of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies
Julia Alvarez next
Last evening's Book Passage event was Sara Paretsky. I've read several of her V I Warshawski gritty mysteries, the heroine being an intrepid PI. Exciting stuff and I had no idea how old Paretsky is, nor how funny and good humored and interesting a speaker. Some writers are not cut out for talking and it's better to read them.
She's good for both.
She lives in a small town in Kansas, so we're spared the big city I'm really someone vibes given off by writers who shall remain nameless, no need to give them even more attention. And I loved her account of ordering books from her local indie bookstore and having them delivered right away by bicycle.
Since the Book Passage series are all talking heads, you can do other things, at the same time, so she helped me do quite a bit of seam finishing on my jacket, without missing anything.
Life's full of stuff!
Life IS full of stuff and some of it lovely and in packets, some of it between the covers of a book.
ReplyDeleteShoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings!
DeleteInteresting stuff. The vinegars will be a good project. We are currently on a flavoured balsamic vinegar as dressings For salads and over veg such as kale. I quite like the kale dressed with the flavoured stuff. Makes it edible anyway.
ReplyDeleteOne simple plan I have, now there's malt vinegar in my life, is roasted French fries, liberally salted and vinegared. It's calling to me.
Deletethe main thing I use vinegar for is cleaning the plaster off my glass castings. and I have no idea what the insect is but it's got one hell of a stinger.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it's fortunate I didn't meet him in life.
DeleteVinegar is an all purpose material.The cleaning white is cheap and good for windows, counter tops, sinks, shower heads -- this one is cool, tape a plastic bag of white vinegar over the shower head so the operative part is submerged, leave it overnight, and a lot of lime and other water deposits will be gone. Do the shower sprays straight instead of in weird little angles. This is also easy.
So not do. Operator error, can't blame spell check.
ReplyDeleteI have all kinds of vinegars. Not sure why but I must have bought each of them for a recipe I was doing.
ReplyDeleteRe the bug. It looks like a mason bee. I Googled and I found this link......https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/mason_bees.shtml
Thank you, I'll check that out.
DeleteVinegars flavored, different kind are something I didn't think of much until now. Like flavored teas, flavored vinegars could spruce up a dull menu. Nowadays, getting out of same old recipes rut isn't easy. I shudder to think how I managed to cook daily for my family before single parent days way back when.
ReplyDeleteIt's a luxury to cook at will instead of being on the treadmill of family meals.
DeleteThat is a heck of a lot of vinegar. I have sherry and balsamic as well as the ordinary malt and wine, but what do you use all of yours for?
ReplyDeleteMantel will be a treat for you. She really is a gem.
The bug is a bee? Maybe? She has a sting, hence my guess.
I've waited months for the Mantel. She's a wonderful writer, the previous two parts of the trilogy were gripping.
DeleteParetsky lives in Chicago and has been recently widowed. She has a blog which may interest you and has been writing VI Warshawski series since 1982. Lukas and I are okay. Will check in again tomorrow barring power outage.
ReplyDeleteShe mentioned Chicago but yesterday said she lives now in a small Kansas town. Maybe she moved after her husband died. I'll check out her blog, thank you.
DeleteAnd I'm glad you're okay up to now. Lukas too.
it appears to be a cuckoo wasp, I typed in bluegreen bee and this is what came up.
ReplyDeleteMuesebeckidium obsoletum (obsoletum)
And they do live in your area (as well as mine). If you want to go a-grazing in the wonderful world of cuckoo bees or wasps, there's the latin name for it. Pretty little thing, btw.
Thank you. Yes, this is looking likely. And if we're right, it's not a scary stinger, a gentle pollinator is more like it.
DeleteThat little insect is beautiful - such an incredible colour. I'm familiar with Sara Paretsky but haven't stumbled upon the other two. Will see what our library might yield.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely should have both. There might be a waiting list for Mantel. She's a wonderful writer but you can't rush her, very dense and thoughtful. So people are slow to finish and return. Alvarez is usually a much faster read.
DeleteGalen is currently reading the Mantel book ... he occasionally bursts out with some comparison between Henry and Trump. I am looking forward to reading it, just to see what provoked him so!
ReplyDeleteIm noticing more and more how plagues governed a lot of history. Throughout the Mantel books there are references to observing care and flight because of the fear of fatal infection.
DeleteLikewise the rages and vicious retaliation we see in Trump we see in Henry. For similar reasons. Henry's claim to the throne was very tenuous. Trump's position came about by fraud.
I'm seeing it in other works too, where a tyrannical ruler has deformed the lives of a whole people. The Belgian Congo history. Pol pot, referenced in the Alvarez book. Mussolini in Donna Leon.
That said, how wonderful to see you in here, Ms. Pea!!
Why thank you, Ms. Boud.
ReplyDelete