I'm Cold

I'm freezing. I just made myself a cup of cocoa to warm up while I work on the design for a new rug featuring dogs. I've been talking about this dog rug for a year, and Barb and I plan to use it for the centerpiece of our booth at Rhinebeck. In two weeks and two days. Ha. As my daughter says, "I work best under pressure." We shall see.


I first made this apricot and prune stuffed pork roast for my husband's 30 birthday 26 years ago. I made it again when my sister Barb came to visit last Friday. It was my homage to Sheila Lukins, who, along with Julie Rosso, created The Silver Palate. She died from brain cancer in late August, but I only just read about her death. I was surprised that it wasn't on the national news, or that my husband, an avid daily reader of the New York Times, never said a word to me about her obituary. She was, for me, the Michael Jackson of the cooking world back in 1982, the year the first Silver Palate cookbook came out. I loved the little shop on Columbus Avenue and I loved that cookbook. I still do. My original copy was so worn my daughter bought me a new one for Christmas last year. I still make The Silver Palate pesto recipe every summer when the basil in our garden is full grown. My neighbor Jane makes Chicken Marbella so often that our family calls it Jane's Chicken. And Chili for a Crowd -- nothing is more comforting on a cold winter's day -- or on a cold October's evening. Gotta go -- I'm off to the the grocery for kidney beans . . .