Picky Eaters Club: Month 4

This post should really be called 'Didn't-do-fuck-all' Club: Month 4. Oh, Ilana (shaking my head), what have you been doing with yourself that you only managed to make 14 recipes in 31 days!! I'm too scared to even see what that rate of recipes per day is, yikes!!

So the project is obviously going to have to be extended another month, maybe two. It's really hot here. Going to be around 100ºF; this is the only time I'm actually happy I work here, at Crapco. Air-conditioning -- that I don't have to pay for myself!!!

Ok, so despite July being a slow month when it came to Cupboard Love cooking, I did eat fabulously!

Here are my faves:

95. Spaghetti and Tinned Plum Tomatoes - *Pasta*
96. Grilled Shrimp - *Grills*
100. Spaghetti with Ricotta and Herbs - *Pasta*
101. Something 'Smoreish' - *Afters*
102. Rocky Road - *Afters*
104. Prawns and Red Curry - *Thai*
105. Garlic and Tomato Sauce (Aglio Dorato) - *Pasta*

I got to cook a lot out of the Afters and Thai chapters. That's good news because these were my least used chapters up until now. I poached eggs and made hollandaise sauce for the first time, became better at improvising and not taking myself so seriously. Just last night, I was so tired and hungry, and I made a fab salad of mixed designer leaves, lime vinaigrette, spring onions, corn, blanched zucchini, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. Not only was it so delicious, but I didn't take a picture of it! But, no, that's a good thing. As much as cooking and taking pictures are my two loves, as much as I am a slave to recipes, no matter how basic they are, I actually managed to make up a salad on my own based on instinct and past fab eating experiences, and I didn't think I was so uppity that I needed to show the entire world how fabulous I was by doing it. I mean, people do this every day, make lovely meals, from their own intuition. But let's face it, I am not like those people every day. I do love my cookbooks, and I do love to show off my cooking. I'm not ashamed to say that this blog is a way for me to show off; a grown-up version of 'look mummy, look what I've done'. Is there one blogger who isn't just the tiniest bit self-absorbed?

Well, I guess my point is, I'm growing. And I don't mean horizontally -- and certainly not vertically! As a cook, I mean, I'm appreciating things more. I'm trying out new ingredients; ordering things I would have never ordered at restaurants. Of course, I still have a long way to go.. haha, and a lot more to grow!!