The last few days have been rich with culinary adventures and small comforts.

1. Tonight Jeffery and I had lobster tail, which were on sale at Safeway for $5 each. We cut them in half and sauteed them in butter (with some corn starch as a thickening agent), chicken stock, vermouth, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and served them with mushroom risotto and broccoli. The first taste of broth was incredible: buttery, sour, savory, garlicky and a little bit fishy (we could taste every ingredient), and then the first bite of lobster was so sweet and succulent. It made me realize that I have never tasted lobster tail before, and it's delicious.

2. Kitten loves the radiator. He likes to sprawl out on his tummy with his head directly underneath the pipes and soak up the heat. And he's just as curious as ever, exploring our little orchid jungle. Look at those piercing eyes.

3. It has been really beautiful out lately. Today was a high of 71 degrees. When it's nice out I like to take my lunch to Thorough Bread and read my book. Their tomato soup is incredible, it's served with a generous helping of fresh baguette, and it made the perfect accompaniment to my tofu salad with cabbage (I have a new love for red cabbage). On Thanksgiving I read Ann Patchett's memoir, Truth and Beauty: A Friendship, and it made me want to read more of her fiction. I picked up her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars (which is really good so far) from Aardvark Books.

4. Marina gave us an Atlas pasta maker as an early wedding gift, and over Thanksgiving she gave us a package of elk linguica. The other night we sauteed the elk up with onions and garlic and rolled it into tortellini. Also delicious.

Six weeks until the wedding! ♥