Don't hate me

I'm in a hotel in Barcelona that supplies you with an ipod alarm clock, a DVD player, nice smelling shower supplies, window shades that go up and down with a button, and (yet) insufficient light. It's very modern - but since when does modern mean 'spooky dark in here'?

I just ran a half hour on the treadmill while watching (on television) two ladies of Eastern European origin whack tennis balls furiously at each other. I believe soon I shall step outside and continue my small tour of the city that started this morning with a food market (ham, ham, everywhere, and not a drop to dr- hm. Is it legal to bring back ham if it vacuum sealed??) and a famous gothic cathedral.

Also, the contents of the mini bar are free, so I feel compelled to eat the one itty bitty (yet sooo deelicious!) chocolate bar and drink the beer (cervesa! see, Carlos, I am learning).

Ok, you can hate me a little bit.

So Nice

To go check my google home page, and have a new headline every couple hours about rolling back all the wackadoodle Bush policies, like the Global Gag Rule, and stem cell research. It's like change has come to America or something!

Inaugural moments

I was very comfy on the couch, thanks. Lowery impressed me most; "to turn to each other and not on each other", my favorite rhetorical device of the day. I was looking for some real winners in Obama's speech, but nothing jumped out, except his castigation of Bush (woo!).

What a looooong day for everyone in Washington, though, and especially for the Obamas....but am having fun imagining Malia and Sasha running through the White House this morning, checking everything out.

Leeks

Food of the gods.

First, confit your leeks. 3 leeks + 1/2 stick of butter + 2 tbl water, covered over low for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.

From Food

Make a galette pastry dough (butter, flour, a little ice water) - we used Alice Waters.

Make a galette, add some goat cheese.

From Food

Enjoy!

Cheese

I made mozzarella last weekend with the right kind of thermometer and the right kind of milk, and it worked great. We put it into a lasagna.

From Food

With the whey you can just boil it to 200 F and then strain it and it turns into ricotta. You need a really really fine cheesecloth (butter muslin, or a pillowcase) otherwise you end up with a teensy tiny amount of ricotta. Like so. This was four layers of regular cheesecloth.

From Food

makes

From Food

Doog

From Kima

Barcelona

Inordinately happy that I will get to take the train to Newark for a flight in late January, rather than going via Reagan airport.

Need to find Barcelona guidebook, stat.

Dakar

Going to Dakar next week. I am soooo not taking any luggage. I will have the smallest bag imaginable. It will be awesome.