Happy New Year everyone! I enjoyed a nice, long break from work and the blog, but now I’m refreshed and ready to start cooking. I plan on changing up the format a little this year, and I hope to publish more regularly. There are so many cookbooks I am looking forward to trying out, so let’s get started! As part of my new format, I am going to introduce and review the cookbook in the same post. On Wednesdays (and sometimes Thursdays), I will share a recipe. Friday will be a bit of a grab bag, where I will share other things I’ve been cooking, reading, or watching, and some of my favorite kitchen things. The Year of Cozy by blogger Adrianna Adarme is a book that I’ve had quite awhile, but haven’t ever cooked from. As the subtitle says, this book has more than recipes. It also includes some craft projects (I haven’t done any of those either. 🙂 ), and just some ideas about having a cozy life. The book is arranged by seasons, so I tried out a couple of the winter recipes that I will share with you this week. Here’s my verdict: To Read: Yes….

It’s our right, our responsibility, and our privilege. If you have not already, please go vote. I’ll be back later in the week, with a couple of Thanksgiving cookbooks. See you then.

  I really wanted to make at least one more recipe from Clean Sweets before I made my verdict. Since I haven’t had time to do that, I’m going to give my verdict on Monday and introduce next week’s cookbook on Tuesday. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Here are a few things I’m enjoying this week. Podcast: I am a podcast addict. I read a lot, but I don’t really do audiobooks because I have trouble concentrating on them. Podcasts are easier for me because I don’t feel like I have to pay attention every second to make sense of things. The podcast that got me hooked was Gilmore Guys. I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan, and when I heard about this podcast I had to give it a try. Kevin and Demi are two guys who decided to watch all of Gilmore Girls and then do a podcast episode for each episode of the show. Kevin had already watched most of Gilmore Girls and was a huge fan, while Demi had never seen the show. An awful lot of the podcast is just the two of them goofing off and talking to their friends about the show, but by the end of the run the podcast became so popular they are able to interview several members of the cast and crew. Ultimately, these two guys were extras on the Netflix season of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. When I saw them on TV it…

Time to test out a recipe from this week’s cookbook—Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking. The recipe I chose is definitely not the most complicated dish to make, but I find salmon to be difficult to get right. My family loves salmon when I pick it perfectly, but it so easy to under cook or over cook. I am always looking for just the right way to make salmon that is flaky and tasty. This method of cooking salmon delivers on both counts. Soy-Glazed Salmon 1-2 pound salmon filet, skin removed 1 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1/2 cup packed brown sugar Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 clove finely grated garlic 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Place salmon filet on parchment-lined baking sheet. To make soy glaze, reduce soy sauce, sesame seeds, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan over high until it’s the consistency of maple sugar. Add garlic and ginger. Brush the glaze onto salmon immediately before cooking, basting every 15 minutes or so as it roasts. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the fish begins to flake in the thickest part…