A seething mass of turgid drama.

Yesterday I took the day off. It was originally going to be a half day, but I needed a break. We drove to the East Bay (traffic was awful, a lane was shut down on the Bay Bridge) and met Ken & CJ at the local theater. After obligatory 30 minutes of inane previews we saw Coyote vs Acme. It was good; lots of nods to classic Looney Tunes. Not ground-breaking like Roger Rabbit but at least it wasn't a pathetic commercial like Space Jam. I'd recommend it.

We walked around for a bit and had a decent dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Salvadorean place. Then home, in the obligatory rush hour traffic.

• Sourdough popovers (done)
• bills & stuff
• resurrect Lazarus IV (rye starter) (in process)
• stuff and smoke a batch of 1500s garlic chorizo for curing (in process)
• bananana bread
• kale gratin
• decide if a British Museum membership is worth it to help get Big Lie tickets in January

This may be a trifle ambitious, but I have to keep pace with the wife.  She has been triaging/sorting/cleaning like a mad thing and is also working on beautifying our back yard.  (Not a euphemism.)

Also, my sourdough starter is The Oobleck in a nod to Dr. Seuss.  Since the apprentice brought a clone of his starter, I have named it the OoBrokk.

This week's Resolution Recipe: Boquerones (Cured Anchovies).
"Anchovies are cured in salt, while boquerones are cured in vinegar."
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Apparently there was a 4.1 quake in the East Bay. Our building floor moved slightly.

I hadn't planned it that way, but there it is.

Today: sourdough bread, and then pizza for dinner. Both are currently rising.
Tomorrow: English muffins and a 16th c roll recipe with the apprentice.
Pictures probably on FB as the goods exit the oven.

This week's Resolution Recipe: Yorkshire sausages.
"A traditional English pork banger, famously paired with Yorkshire pudding to make Toad in the Hole."
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Yesterday's sausage party went well. The British expat couple who live 10 minutes away showed up right on time and we settled on a mix for Yorkshire sausages, which contain breadcrumbs (a standard British extender that gives them their characteristic soft texture), salt, white pepper, nutmeg and mace, and coriander. The recipe came from a book fittingly called English Sausages.

We mixed up the farce and Brokkr the apprentice and his lady wife showed up as we were filling the stuffer. The test fry was mild as I expected; I personally prefer both a firmer texture and more assertive spicing, but this was about making what the Brits missed. We got the casings stuffed and some cooking. People brought roast potatoes and brussels sprouts; bread and leftover Roman dishes that Brokkr made for an event last weekend; I cooked some chard and basil with pine nuts. There was also (unopened) wine, beer, and a variety of gins for G&Ts.

Miss Beatrice, as expected, did not make an appearance - she stayed in her carrier behind chairs and wouldn't come out until well after everyone left.

Convivial, good food, and I sent both couples home with a few sausages and the promise we could do it again for their freezer. It meant I didn't get to bed until 10, which I expected, and didn't sleep well. I can't blame the one beer I drank or overeating. So I am dragging a bit today and will take it easy tonight. But worth doing occasionally!

I got to work and found my badge and office key weren't in the place I always put them. That means I left it in the office by mistake last night. Annoying, but not fatal - I'll just get the guard to let me in.

Then as I did a last-minute rummage in the rest of the bag, I found it tucked away in a different pocket of my bag. Just before I got to the guard. Yay?

This week's Resolution Recipe: Pan de Elote Muffins.
Or, what to do with our lifetime supply* of masa...
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This week's Resolution Recipe: Creamy Tuscan Chickpea Soup.
Shouldn't that be "Tuscan Creamy Chickpea Soup"? I don't want to use creamy Tuscans.
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