Winter is taking it's time about descending upon sunny California this year, that's for sure! I want to go into pre-holiday baking mode and it is hard to feel the spirit of the approaching season when you have to turn on a fan to survive a baking cake.
I did take a step in anticipation of Thanksgiving and made a couple of pumpkin pies yesterday. Oh, not for mere consumption (one is already gone!) but to make sure I'm still an expert at preparing one . . . I am!
Reading cookbooks is a favorite hobby of mine. My husband picks up interesting ones from the Friends of the Library for me and some of them have become stand bys while others were quickly donated back! The Translyvanian Cookbook did not have one recipe that I could see myself trying or adapting. Besides, I have never seen bear paw on sale at my grocery store so no use trying to prepare that one! The latest 'find' was one called something about from my grandmother's kitchen. I approached it with an open mind but have to tell you, I think those grandmothers were abusive when it came to food! Either that or it didn't take much to impress their relatives.
Since the bear paw was unobtainable, I suppose we will go with turkey this Thanksgiving! We are having guests and that is something to look forward to as I think the wonderful smells of turkey cooking and the lingering scent of pies cooling on the counter should be shared.
