Yes, I'm afraid Dick Clark is still alive.

After an ear piercing plane ride back, thanks to a pesky head cold, I'm back in Florida realizing just how much I hate cold weather. The little vacation in Virginia was good -- saw some family and folks and ran out of time to catch up with everyone. Sadly though, I cooked nothing more than a cup of tea. There just wasn't time. Not to say I didn't eat...

Oh how we stuffed our faces. For the most part, we gorged on large portions of authentic 'future-mother-in-law' Cantonese fare. I also tried my first durian which was quite the experience. I could smell it on my fingers for hours afterward. We also returned to Williamsburg to some of our favorites.

There lots of kitchen essentials under our family Christmas tree which I'm excited to play with. We also brought back enough cookies and chocolates to last until '08. Alas I didn't get to cook one Christmas cookie this year so I think I will have to make up for that this week and try out some new recipes. I don't really want to eat them, just make them. I'm making sorbets tonight -- pomegranate chambord and kumquat cardamon. I do hope my ice cream maker cooperates.

Happy '07.

December.

Is it really December? I get rather confused when I see people swimming in the (non heated) pool and basking in the sun. Its put me in a rather non-Christmastime mood. And it seems like I've been spending more time with the 'currently listening to' section of this blog than with the food part. I'll try to catch up.

We've had some pretty lovely wines lately. A 2004 Avila Pinot Noir which was so crisp and clean on the tongue its hard to believe it a pinot. And a fine French red from Minervois 2002 -- Le Bois des Merveilles with as fine a finish as any.

Food? A little. It appears that none of my pictures have turned out. So I'll sit here and munch on Hanukkah cookies, wondering why my latke project was such a failure. I'm headed back to VA this week where I'll be baking cookies like mad and putting my two cents in on the family xmas dinner.