Tamworth

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of spending my time with Betty and Meg for their very first table sharing workshop up in an idyllic New Hampshire town called Tamworth. We got to enjoy the beautiful scenery, forage for mushrooms, and make sourdough bread with all the other lovely people who made the trip—Stephanie, Zoe, Sara, Jess, Robin, Liz, and Katie (miss you guys already!). I can't begin to describe how much fun it was being in such a creative environment and talking shop for hours and hours until we turned in for the night.

For me, spending time with the food blogging/photography community has always been this self contained microcosm of my real life. I have to make a dedicated effort to go all in for a few days, to put my "real life" on hold while I get to enjoy face to face, the people who I normally only talk to online. I want that to change though, and going to events like this gives me the kick in the butt I need to better merge my workaday life with my blogging life.

Pear Cake with Salted Caramel

The days fly by. You couldn't ask for a more perfect New York fall. I watch the sun set at work most days, we have a panoramic view of the city from our office. It reminds me every day how beautiful life is, and if I had one desire, it would be the ability to slow it all down. It comes with the territory I suppose, time moves too fast in moments of content, and it trudges along slowly in moments you'd rather skip right through.

The markets have been bursting with apples, pears, and grapes lately. Picturesque fall. Last weekend, at every stall that carried them, there were huge swarms of honey bees all over the gorgeous and fragrant cartons of concord grapes. They were so damn happy. And for every bee present there was a person squealing about them, either in excitement or fear. It was truly a sight to behold. I decided to take another route from the bees, purchasing what may have been a few too many bartlett pears to make pear cake. It was a tasty decision.

Roasted Plums with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tomorrow marks the first day of fall, where did the entire month of September go? Here I am scrambling to get this post out before the 23rd officially rolls around, so in the spirit of being constantly late to the game, I'm sharing one last late summer recipe with you guys because I'm not ready for six months of winter squash.

Just like the recipe, this post is going to be short and sweet, mostly because I don't really have much to say today, but also in part because I've been trying my best to enjoy time away from the computer screen lately, doing things like biking, walking, and for the first time tonight, climbing! Work's been good, I've been super busy, I went to a launch party for Sam's new cookbook (which you should buy because it's amazing and she's one of the most talented ladies ever), and I've been obsessed with making a vegetarian Chicken Shack at home, so much so that it was dinner almost every day last week. And that's it, that's my life update, that's all I got.

Pan Fried Asparagus with Romesco Sauce

Summer flew by more quickly than I anticipated. It was a whirlwind of post-graduation stress and job hunting that culminated in last week. A week consisting of four job interviews, three offers, hours of negotiation, and waaaay too many decisions for this gal to handle. The good news is it's over, I'm starting a new job next week! Thus starting a new routine of commuting to midtown Manhattan every day and finally being able to pay rent again (as exhilarating as the last year has been, I am Ready, with a capital R, to get some stability back in life). But for now, while there is still time left, I am taking it easy and enjoying the last of the waning summer produce, starting off with some asparagus, sweet peppers, and tomatoes.

This recipe, though it features asparagus, is really a love ballad for romesco sauce: a roasted red pepper sauce that packs huge flavor in a few simple ingredients. Romesco is one of those things I didn't really notice until a few months ago. I was aware of its existence, but didn't give much thought toward actively seeking it out. It was kind of like that kid who you went to school with but never paid much attention to until they did or said something one day that catches your eye, and then you're hooked, the obsession begins.