Cookery – Page 2 – Brian Fence

Thymey Whymey

Thyme and Board No, I’m not cutting up some illegal herb; it’s THYME! Get the post’s title now? Hee-hee, Brian’s puns are bad.

Life has been pretty mundane lately, and that’s a reason to make every event a little more special. Tonight I cooked herb-marinated pork tenderloins, roasted right in the pan; I accompanied them with couscous and shallots, Vichy carrots, and a green salad with a Dijon vinaigrette. Simple, rustic French cookery. Om-nom-nom.

Excitingly, I get to pop over to the library tomorrow to speak with the senior librarian about Librarian, and it just-so-happens that the main branch is across the street from one of my favorite local watering holes. There’s a connection her: MOAR WORK ON APPRENTICE (I’ve made no secret that I work best from pubs)!

I really need to push out the next couple chapters, and errrg, tonight was one of those nights in the shower when I was like, “Damn, I think this might need to be longer than a trilogy…” — no, Brian! NO! Squash that thought right now!

…

The Great Cheese Experiment

The other night, Tony and I were talking about a recent study conducted by the British Cheese Board (isn’t it wonderful that such a thing exists!?). The study (here) suggests that consumption of 20 grams of certain types of cheese will affect how one sleeps and/or dreams.

A great surprise then arrived yesterday in the form of fresh cheese, straight from England (thanks, Tony). Apparently, eating Cheshire 30 minutes before I fall asleep should result in a dreamless night of rest; the Red Leicester will have me reliving the days of my youth. The experiment begins tonight!

Back! Bold! My God, Let Me Sleep

Woaaaaah. In the jet-setting days of my youth, I used to bounce around the globe like a bad check and never suffer any overdraft fees. My body now? It’s screaming SCREEEEEW YOUUUUUUU FOR FLYING.

Work on Apprentice is slow, subsequently, though I’m excited to say I’ve worked a short story I had written about one character’s history into its own chapter, which effectively increased my word count to over my halfway mark. WOOTSAUCLES.

I had the benefit of going to one of Philly’s top 50 restaurants last night, although suffering from jet lag and not having unpacked yet, I’m not sure my tummy was physically or mentally ready for an 824802802-course tasting menu. Of course, by American standards, every course in a tasting menu is the size of my head, so needless to say, I couldn’t eat the TWO DESSERTS IT CAME WITH.

I did have espresso with TWO SUGARS (gasp), so yeah. One month and counting without a proper night’s sleep. Also, I have consumption.

zzz

PS — book signing on Saturday! DON’T FORGET; I’m giving kisses, pictures, and puppies.

Almost a Pumpkin

The hour is nearly there! At midnight EDT, my Goodreads giveaway officially ends! Out of the 1000+ people who have entered, the lucky winner could be YOU and you could find yourself in possession of your very owned signed copy of Librarian! If you haven’t entered, you should do so ASAP, ’cause time is running out, and it’s a damn good book.

Due to family issues and misc. drama, not much work was made on Apprentice this week, but on Friday I’m going back to England for a month. Are you excited? I am! IT MEANS WRITING TIME WITH LOTS OF BEER!

On another happy note, my garden yielded its bounty unto me and I’m confit-ing the crap out of it. 🙂 Stay cool outside, kiddos (and read).

No More Leprechauns

Sorry about the delay in blogging! I was swept away in a tide of St Patrick’s Day fêtes, beer-filled reunions with old school mates, a ton of great food, and meeting up with the Master of my College, St Cross, at Oxford, and some alumnae about the new addition to the buildings. Excitement!

Subsequently, zero work was done, New York City was a massive blizzard all weekend, and now I am back to my mundane existence and feeling rather melancholy about it.

But much fun was had, and I did experience some of the finer highlights the City has to offer…

Ponies and Bubbly — Ponies, pate, and bubbles.

And…

Brian Tackles Mega — The “mega” size Sapporo at my fav izakaya.

Nor’easters and Alicorns Lead to Disappointment

So, as I’m sure most people are aware, another “snowpocalypse” is striking New England. Boston is stealing all the snow from me, and I’m not happy about it. I want a massive blizzard to strike my Pine Forest, forcing me to do nothing but cook all the delicious venison my neighbor gave me this morning (seriously, I’ve got pretty much an entire deer).

As it is, we’re slated for 1-3″ or 3-6″ — we’re right on the line — and I have a dreadful feeling it’s going to be just enough to cause a massive inconvenience but not enough to shut the office. This makes me angerful.

Re: Librarian, my faithful critic Jimbles is giving me a chapter a day, so content-wise we’re getting there! Also, it looks like I actually HAVE scored a copy-editor, so it’s just a matter of contract stuff. Yay!

On a final note, I AM SUFFERING FROM DISAPPOINTMENT. If you want to know why, read more. SPOILER ALERT! Continue reading Nor’easters and Alicorns Lead to Disappointment

Feeling Pineapple

I went to bed late last night and awoke this morning rather melancholy. Is it the winter blues? Is it missing England? Do I long for the touch of a loved one?

I’m not sure I really know, and I decided I didn’t need to. A healthy lunch (sauteed bok choy and garlic, sesame carrots, tofu, miso soup, rice), a win from England (scrum!) in the rugby, and a really hot shower fixed me up but right. Why be sad today? The sun is shining, my curls are defined, and I’m ready to write.

And, most important of all, I’m wearing pineapple socks.

Pineapple Socks