Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
In case you had any doubt.
If a quiz says so, it must be true:
You Are an Excellent Cook |
 You’re a top cook, but you weren’t born that way. It’s taken a lot of practice, a lot of experimenting, and a lot of learning.It’s likely that you have what it takes to be a top chef, should you have the desire… |
I thank Tam for this one. Thank you! I only wish I had that much hair, and such a lustrous coffee complexion, and such perky lips.
You know what happens when doctors go on vacation? Everything waits for them to come back. Everything. I returned to the Chart Basket from Hell, the Basket that Ate My Head, the Basket that Bent Me Over and Called Me Dottie. I worked straight through lunch, then put in another 45 minutes after work, and finally managed to almost clean the bugger out.
Patient-wise, the goods and the bads seemed to balance today. On the one hand, I had my share of people whom I will never help, never ever ever. On the other hand, I got a letter from one of my adult tonsillectomy patients, telling me what a great guy I am. I never tire of such letters.
Later on this afternoon, I spoke to one of our local internists, who happens to be Karen’s doc. I thought Karen was going to see him today (tomorrow, as it happens), so when he said — aw, heck, let’s dialog it:
Dr. M: I saw another one of your patients today who thinks the world of you and loves you to death.
Me: Yeah, yeah. You saw my wife. How —
Dr. M: No, she doesn’t even like you. Get over it.
He does a great deadpan. Which reminds me, we really ought to invite his family over. Neat people.
After work, I
- stopped by the airport to pick up our lost luggage, didn’t feel like waiting for it to come in,
- dropped some fruitflies off for Rae, visited her moon jellies,
- went grocery shopping, realized there was no way I’d have enough time to do the things I wanted to do for dinner and eat before 9PM,
- so I picked up a ready-to-bake pizza, calzone, and cinnamon rolls, and then I
- picked up the luggage,
- had to stop by work again to make sure I’d locked the door, because I am my mother’s son (Sis knows what I mean), and
- made it home by 7PM.
It’s good to be home, and it’s good to be caught up on my work, but I am TIRED. So this is good night.
D.
Me too, me too. We rock!
But, I do have to share this story. I arrived home on Sunday, and Dearest Husband of Mine was off in the bush setting antennas or running fuel or something ridiculous, so… a good friend picked me up at the airport and on the way in informed me, we (as in at my house) were having a dinner party that night but not to worry, he had everything covered. And he did. I was treated to a simple but exquisite ham dinner, many friends, good drinks, great conversation and lots of laughs, all without having to lift a finger… bliss.
X
Hah. I got “excellent cook” too, but that’s not really the case. I’m far too… well, let’s be charitable and call it “creative”… to be an excellent cook. To put it another way, I’m by nature resistant to being told what to do, and I tend to view recipes as being awfully bossy, plus I kind of enjoy the whole mystery thing–what’ll happen if I add this?–so my results tend to be hit or miss.
X, don’t you love it when that happens?
Darla, being an experimentalist is key. Besides, entree recipes are meant to be modified. You only need to be a stickler for detail when baking — IMO, only an expert baker knows how to modify things and not end up with yeeech.
Walnut occasionally serves ready to bake pizza? I feel soooo much better. It’s not about one-upmanship, it’s just that I don’t cook as a hobby.
It takes energy and time to do the fancy stuff. I try to do something special at least once a week — whether it’s homemade focaccia, oxtail stew, or a nice dessert, something out of the ordinary. I don’t often buy the ready-to-bake stuff since homemade is still better, but yesterday I really didn’t have the energy for that.
I got excellent cook as well, but I only rate myself as fair to occasionally good. My dishes are usually too plain to be considered cuisine.