a platter of figs

i first ran into david tanis's A Platter of Figs sometime early this past summer at sarah's house. i had shown up characteristically early for book club and we were lazing in her screen porch eating some delicious cheese and drinking our red wine out of chipped tea cups - both of which are oft occurrences at her lovely apartment. i started paging through her copy and was immediately captured by the beautiful photography throughout. i read a page or two and decided i must have it, if not for the actual recipes (which i hadn't yet delved into), then for the lush food photos. it is a foodie's coffee table book.

while i've now owned my own copy for several months and scoured every recipe, i've been intimidated by his beautifully simple menus. i can't really say why - maybe it is the many ingredients i've not worked with before or maybe it is just knowing the skill with which they were carried out the first time and penned into this book. however, i finally got over the hump and made (part of) a menu. both the oven roasted rabbit and the parsnips from were served this past saturday to the fantastic mike and mali. and let me tell you, that rabbit was most certainly the most delicious thing that i have ever made in my entire life. perfectly tender and popping with the herbs and bacon. delicious. i urge you to try it - will even give you the recipe if you ask nicely.

also, in the middle of making some maple butter. have i mentioned that fall foods are my favorite?

updates: or, i'm a bad blogger

sorry, blogging fell to the end of my to-do list for a moment there.

went to mexico, had wonderful time even though the hurricane missed us after so many days of rain and warnings. coconut ice cream topped with kahlua is a new guilty pleasure.

it's a bit late to invite, but we're reading Lark & Termite this month for book club. next month is already chosen and it is All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. apparently it is "less bleak" than some of his novels. however, if you've read back a ways in my blog, you'll know i like his bleak very much. if you have any interest in joining us for december's book, let me know - i'll get you on our book club email list in which we debate days and next book.

this weekend was a lot of family time. joe and i went to my parents house (with clementine in tow) early on saturday. the boys cut down seven or eight trees and we stacked the firewood. then, my parents, joe and myself (sisters and their men too squeamish), slaughtered our five chickens and rooster. i am seeing pot pies and dumplings in the near future.

i'll leave you with some pretty things from etsy - christmas shopping has begun and i'm going to try and buy homemade whenever possible this year. these are a few of my favorite things.