Sunday, July 21, 2013

Kitchen Remodel, Week Twenty-One: A New Home for the Cookbook Library


Definitely one of my favorite things about our new kitchen is the bookcase under one bank of windows. I can finally keep all my cookbooks in the kitchen with me. They didn't all fit in these shelves, but 80 percent of them did. The rest are in one of the cupboards under the island, which is good enough. At least they are all in the same room.

Ella Fitzgerald, one of our two Jazz Cats, loves the new book case.  In the summer, she can smell the outside through the open windows and keep an eye on the crows.  In the winter, the steam radiator (hidden behind the black screen on the left) will warm up the soapstone counter she's sitting on. I suspect she will spend a lot of time there.


At a neighborhood potluck last night, I got a tip about a plum tree at a vacant house a couple of blocks away. So I went this morning with my next-door neighbor, the wildly creative interior designer Marketa Rogers, to do some urban gleaning.

I'm not quite sure what to do with these.  They are the little round kind, not much bigger than a Bing cherry.  They are deliciously sweet and tart and very juicy.  They would make a great pie, but I'm trying to shed a few pounds and pie won't help.  I think I'll either make a few jars of jam, or pit and freeze them to make a pie later when I have more calorie capacity for eating pie.

Any other plum ideas? For now or to use with frozen plums later.



WEEKEND COOKING




8 comments :

  1. I think those are called cherry plums (apt, isn't it?). I've seen recipes for jam, but I think they're mostly used as you said, in pie. Lovely fruit, and nice that it was free! I adore that part of your kitchen, and your cat is adorable!

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  2. I am totally jealous of that bookcase!

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  3. Oh I have such bookcase envy! That is so beautiful, your kitchen is looking fantastic.

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  4. What a beautiful space! I sure wish I could keep my cookbooks in the kitchen.

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  5. Your new kitchen has everything I dream of for mine, including a place for cookbooks. Ella Fitzgerald is a very smart cat to find such a comfortable place to keep an eye on you and the crows.

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  6. The bookcase looks amazing. I love all the light from the windows, too.

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  7. I'm not sure what to do with the plums, but your bookcase is lovely!!

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  8. What a beautiful bookcase! Congratulations on your gorgeous remodel.

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