Robert and I are finally remodeling the kitchen in our home, the kitchen that once served 30 people an evening a 7 course meal, but sadly for the better part of this last year has most consistently produced a daily pot of coffee. I had forgotten how a sense of order can contribute to feeling calm – I almost didn’t realize it until I stood in our almost complete kitchen and smiled with an exhale.

And then I felt it. I wanted to cook something.

So came chicken soup, lentil soup, savory shortbread, chocolate chip cookies – so yummy and fulfilling that I wondered why I had been living off of sandwiches all these months. Why should I need a a proper dishwashing area for cook a meal? Am I so lame that I really need a freezer or ice anyway? The answer of course is yes, but now I am relishing in it all. Who cares if we don’t have stools at our counter/bar – we’ve got a garbage disposal for heaven’s sake. And after a tough few weeks with the loss of a family member and a loved one in crisis, I’m going to hang on to the pleasure created by the smell of cookies baking in my oven. I seems like a miracle that a few items in my kitchen can come together to taste so good. A simple cookie, no less.

So in this moment, let’s just take a bite of it. Merry Christmas…

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If you have our cookbook “The Cook’s Book of Intense Flavors” we now have a Facebook page for it. Post photos of dishes you have created from it, ask questions, or just say hi.