vital functions

[kaberett]

Reading. Thornhedge, T. Kingfisher. An entire delight, to the point that I am reconsidering the merits of attempting some of her other horror. (Because I agree with her that this one really is sweet, but A Minor Mage was Sufficiently Upsetting that I did not want to try sleeping before I'd finished it...)

Tales From Out There, Frozen Ed Furtaw: finished! And indeed spent a bit of time browsing subsequent race reports...

Prophet, Helen MacDonald and Sin Blaché, as mentioned previously. I have just hit Chapter 61/75% of the way through it (some screeching in comments on that linked post) and am looking forward to rolling around in all of rydra_wong's posts On The Topic soon. Very soon.

I have also flipped through the modern vegetarian (Maria Elia), and indexed the first chapter of Leiths How to Cook Bread) for EYB.

Watching. Knitting belts! Which is how I came across the rest of the amazing structural story-telling knitting linked t'other day.

Cooking. Ottolenghi's ultimate winter couscous: it is definitely good (notwithstanding that we are largely ignoring the directions re harissa and leaf coriander) but it is also not quite what I want, somehow, and I am trying to work out why that is. The good news is I'll have plenty of opportunity to do so, because I slightly made four days' worth...

Playing. This week I am very excited because yesterday in Flight Rising the RNG disgorged A MANTICORE for me. Last of the gathering familiars!

Making & mending. I am up to row 60 (of 115, plus some faff with a thumb) on glove #1 of the Firstfall convertible mitts -- i.e. I have just separated out the thumb stitches and then rejoined the hand section. This is cast on #3 and I had to frog one and a half pattern repeats yesterday, BUT I have subsequently invested in LIFELINES (v useful when I looked up from The Book I Am Inhaling to realise I'd put the start of the thumb increases on the wrong side of the palm...) and I'm honestly impressed by how well the cables are showing given! that it's cotton!

Tomorrow I get to either remind myself how short rows work (for a suggested modification I suspect I want to implement...) or, uh, stall.

Growing. I had been Avoiding some Sad Lemongrass out of Guilt but one of it has sprouted and! indeed! since I put it in soil! has developed more visible leaves. Fingers crossed for not killing this one.

At the plot: the garlic I'd given up on is coming up after all! Or, well, at least three of it is, but I'm Hopeful about the rest. Alas only a handful of the broad beans I sowed in the autumn appear to have survived the depredations of winter.

Comments

[phi]

Ohhh, I usually love everything Ottolenghi but that couscous recipe looks like it would be too sweet and too bland for my tastes. I'd replace one of the sweet root veg, with meat if you're omnivore or a sturdy leafy green like collards or lacinato kale if you aren't. And if you do dairy, and some crumbled feta. If not, either some salty roasted pepitas or pine nuts or something like that.

And some other herb to replace the cilantro. Flat leaf parsley is an obvious replacement, but depending on your flavor preferences you could do just about anything. But having something raw and leafy will counteract how heavy all the root veg are.

[madgastronomer]

Okay no really, if Minor Mage got you, please at least be very very careful about how and when you read Kingfisher's horror. Also remember that The Hollow Places has a jumpscare. You'll know it's coming, but it may still get you. I still don't know how she put a jumpscare on the page, but she sure did.

[rydra_wong]

and am looking forward to rolling around in all of rydra_wong's posts On The Topic soon. Very soon.

As and when you reach that point, I made a rough index to make it marginally easier to find things in the discussions (after they reached neutron star levels of density):

https://rydra-wong.dreamwidth.org/983605.html?thread=13170485#cmt13170485

(And you would be very welcome to join in -- it is never too late to continue old conversations, and as you may have noticed I have not stopped being extremely obsessed with this book.)

[kaberett]

I ALREADY HAD IT OPEN IN TABS AND WILL BE ALONG TO YELL... SHORTLY. <3

[rydra_wong]

Btw, I can very much rec the various podcasts the authors did, because they are hilarious and fascinating. I especially rec the #PouredOver and My Perfect Console ones.

[kaberett]

Audio input uuuuuusually doesn't work great for me (TMA had the significant advantage that I've spent a bunch of time hanging out in person with a number of the cast!) but I have a mental bookmark should I come across an unexpected reserve of cope!

[rydra_wong]

Alas! I couldn't remember where you stood on audio input.

The #PouredOver one is available as video, if that's any easier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHauLujY334

[doseybat]

Ooh it is actually possible to grow lemongrass in the UK? Hmm

[kaberett]

You gotta baby it a bit, but yes! https://www.rhs.org.uk/herbs/lemongrass/grow-your-own