Snow Day 2012...

It seems like I have not posted forever. I feel like I am failing at my responsibilities...my duties...my peeps' expectations! Oh god...what to do. My life has been a bit crazy, a bit relaxed, a bit melancholy at times throughout the holidays. I had been off work for a bit while we were closed for some winter maintenance. Cool times for sure(think pizza, movies and fun...not a lot of cooking unfortunately). As we are now corralled by snow in beautiful Seattle in the NW...it gives me time to reflect, to think, to contemplate and to revive my thoughts as we venture into the new...enter 2012! The vision of snow creates thoughts of playtime, fun, cold followed by hot cocoa, sipping a nice cappuccino, slow braises, hearty roasts and toasty fun flavors to savor...I really do love the winter. I think it challenges us as cooks and chefs to our maximum potential as there are slim pickins' when it comes to ingredients. There is not the plethora of the bounty like spring and summer. Even fall has a wealth of foodstuffs. Winter is baren...dead...done...not yet awaken to be revived into spring...nuts, citrus, dried preserves, root stocks and the like. Meats, minimal wild fish, cruciferous and dry staples...bring it on. Test the imagination. Prod the thought unknown. Tease the senses with what could be possible. Create! Until I get back into the kitchen...I leave you with this shot of the moment...white, wintery and wild!