After5

This past year, I have finally started using herbes while cooking, as in herbs other than the Herbes de Provence mix. I started with dried herbs, then I moved on to spices (other than cinnamon), and now finally I am starting to use fresh herbs (other than parsley). Last week I bought a basil plant, and I think I am in love with it. I put it next to the window in my living room, since my kitchen doesn’t have a window.

Tangent: did you notice how apartments have no windows in the kitchen? Whatever moron started designing apartments with a kitchen hidden in a walled-in corner of the apartment must have assumed that people who live in the apartments don’t cook. The cooking population lives in the houses, and microwaving population certainly must live in the apartments.

Ok, I am back. So, my basil plant had a little bit of a rough week, and at one point I thought it was going to die on me, but it survived. It is now looking better, much better. And I used freshly picked basil leaves twice this week in the recipes I prepared for dinner. Since I’ve become such a successful herb grower (note the optimism), I am going to buy a mint plant tomorrow. In the next few posts you will find out why I need the mint plant.

I love looking at the Home & Garden sections of magazines and web sites. Lately, more often than not I come across beautiful modern homes, perfectly decorated in a minimalistic style, that at the same time maintain the appearance of coziness. The last issue of Cookie magazine, February 2009, has one such home built in El Salvador by an architect from El Salvador. When I first looked at the photos of this wonderful house I exclaimed to my husband that someone built our dream home, and he agreed with me completely. I just went on the Cookie web site to see if I can find the link to the same photos and share them with you, but I had no luck. However, there is a consolation prize. Since I am a huge fan of  Home & Garden section of New York Times, I came across another home of my dreams. It is spectacular, modern and full of light.  And the kitchen … oh, the kitchen is something else, very sparse, with a lot of counter space. You can see the slide show here. I hope you enjoy it. I am off to dream of my dream home.