Wednesday, January 7, 2009

gifts for the trip


Last night at dinner Jane and Bill Dinsmore gave me some Italian language notes and books with 2 Gastronomica magazines that I had loaned them. The magazine comes out 4 times a year, but as fast as I read I can't finish one before the next one comes. They are dense. Here is the editor in chief's welcome note to readers:

Since 2001 we've been renewing the connection between sensual and intellectual nourishment by offering readers a taste of passionate inquiry through scholarship, humor, fiction, poetry, and exciting visual imagery. With its diverse voices and eclectic mix of articles, Gastronomica uses food as an important source of knowledge about different cultures and societies, provoking discussion and encouraging thoughtful reflection on the history, literature, representation, and cultural impact of food. The fact is, the more we know about food, the greater our pleasure in it. Welcome to our table!
They will go in the airplane bag, also.
At the same dinner party (for which I cooked Indian .... halibut with tomatoes and onions, basmati rice, dal, cucumber raita, homemade chutney, garlic naan) Marie gave me $100 for taking care of her house while she was in Mexico. Ah, financial luxury. A cushion. Now to work on a budget ....