Invincible Summer

Stay warm, Midwest. It's not very cold here, but I'm still sitting on top of my space heater with my laptop on my lap, typing away. You know, if I gave you 10 degrees Fahrenheit, I'd still be above freezing and you'd still be below zero! And you'd still be miserable, so I'm going to keep those 10 degrees.

But seriously, will you please be careful? That's just insanely cold.

I have been a busy little blackbird since I returned to Portland, visiting friends and getting things done and taking long walks around town. (On the way back from work, I sunk ankle-deep into a mud pit wearing heeled boots, and totally destroyed my favorite teal tights while taking an exploratory climb around a swampy rose garden. After such adventure, I have decided to stay in tonight.) There have also been a few good author appearances at Powell's (!!), including one by Mark Bittman! (!!!) In case you spend your days being a productive member of society instead of secretly reading food blogs, Mark Bittman writes a wonderful food column for the New York Times, has written a bunch of books, and writes one of my favorite blogs. He's also kind of a snarky jerk. What's not to love?! Anyway, the recipes on his blog are always interesting, but are more in the, say, "special occasion" category (because as much as I love the idea of bringing lobster and risotto to the lunchroom at work, even I have to draw the line somewhere). But do you know what qualifies as a special occasion? Mark Bittman coming to town!

And so, behold:

Savory Pear Soup.

This was risky. Because, do you know what the savory part is? Mushrooms. And do you know what the swirly stuff on top is? Gorgonzola. When I last mixed fruit + savory (watermelon and feta), hearts were broken and trash cans were filled. But you guys, it was so good, and super easy! I've had pear and gorgonzola together before, but the mushrooms somehow made it a total taste sensation. Plus, I got to sneak away to take well-deserved gorgonzola breaks at work (which my stomach later said was not the best idea, but whatever).

I also made his version of pasta puttanesca yesterday, but sadly did not take a photo. You know what pasta looks like. It is a wonderland of anchovies, garlic, and capers, so you shouldn't get too close to anyone after you eat it, but I sort of forgot other people existed while I was stuffing it into my mouth, so it wasn't really a problem. I will definitely be making it again.

In other news, I have a new camera. Pay no attention to the dirty mirror.

Hey look, I'm still annoying. But I'm in focus!

I'm hard at work on a "2008 Wrap-Up Spectacular" entry. It consists almost entirely of Top 5 lists, including my 2008 Top 5 favorite ways to annoy my coworker. This year I strive to annoy him even more. It's important to have goals.

I need to make tea and wind down with a book, but I'll leave you with a quote that I've been thinking about a lot lately:

"In the middle of winter I at last discovered that there was in me an invincible summer."
--Albert Camus

Isn't it good? (My mom has the most invincible summer that I know of, by the way.) So please keep warm, inside and out, and I will be back soon to regale you with lists of lists.