I posted a whole 7 times in 2015. I guess that makes me not a very prolific blogger. All my posts were about food, so at least I stuck to a theme. Being a prolific blogger isn’t a goal, but sharing my own entertainment with others is fun. So… I’ll keep at it for 2016.
2015…
I actually started the year with a braised sirloin pappardelle. Foreshadowing for 2016 that I didn’t even realize until just now. More on that in a moment. I made that homemade pasta with my mother’s Atlas hand crank pasta machine. I’ve made a few different fresh pastas with that machine and with the KitchenAid extruder attachment. Fresh pasta is good. It’s fun. It’s worth it. Going into 2016, I now have the KitchenAid roller attachments, a tapered rolling pin, and Kansui (magical liquid needed for ramen and pretzels).
My new food thing for 2015 was duck. I made confit and bacon a few times and have used the duck fat in a few dishes. I’m looking forward to a few more trips to Maple Leaf to branch into some new duck dishes.
I traveled a bit and took a few photos but nothing very consistent or thought out. I plan to step that up a bit for 2016.
This past year has been an adventure in parenting. We’ve had highs and lows and college tuition and braces and glasses and a couple bets. 2016 will bring a graduation and another transition to and tuition for college. And hopefully more highs than lows. And I’ll be 2/3 of the way to being an empty nester this time next year.
2016…
I came across a book at mom and dad’s about braising (remember that foreshadowing comment earlier?). I’m intrigued… so this year will be Braise-a-month year. I’ve braised beef a few times in 2015 more by accident than on purpose. I’ll work on my technique, expand my proteins, and broaden the flavors.
I may take the plunge into full frame photography. We’ll see… that’ll require a new camera. Either way, I’m going to get back into the habit of carrying my camera with me on every trip to capture the new sights and work on my composition and technique.
Stay tuned… perhaps I’ll actually blog at least once a month and get food, travel and photography all into the act.
Merry Christmas 2015 and Happy New Year 2016!