Shopping Haul and Salad - The Return of La Petite Gourmande

I'm back! It's been far too long since I was last in the kitchen, but the new year (and the return of employment) means that I'm itching to get back to what I love. I'm not much for New Year's resolutions, but I've resolved to follow my dreams and pursue my love of cuisine to its fullest: I hereby resolve to spend the next three years of my PhD schooling myself in the art of cuisine and pastry arts, culminating in my application to culinary school in January 2014. Nothing's ever certain--who knows what the next three years will bring--but I've never been so excited about anything in my whole life.

I've been reading and watching cooking-related things voraciously this week...and finally took myself 'round the corner to Inno Bakery, which is a fantastic place to pick up a lot of the imported goods that make kitchen-time SO much more worth it. Honestly, if you're going to use olive oil, spend the extra money to get a decent bottle: you'll never regret it. So here are a few of the things I picked up (some things specifically for tomorrow's meal, since I have a few dishes in mind)...and the salad I made for dinner!




The salad was a bit of an experiment - I wasn't sure about adding the Roquefort - I was surprised at how sweet the cheese is, especially placed alongside the bitterness of the Brussel sprouts. This was also an exercise in texture: the crunch of the steamed sprouts, the tenderness of the apples, the richness of the back bacon, and the softness of the cheese. I'm absolutely pleased with the way the flavours all complimented each other wonderfully. Yum.