One of my goals for the upcoming year is cleaning out the top file drawer, which is where I file needlework patterns and recipes. I have clipped a lot of recipes over the years, but I really don't seem to cook much these days. And, when I do cook (for a potluck, for example), I'll look up recipes on-line instead of flipping through file folders full of clippings.
But I have a journal where I've written down menus for dinner parties I've hosted. Some were as simple as having one person over, some were bigger events. There was always home-baked bread and some sort of salad, and usually a vegetarian casserole. My favorite desserts to serve were always simple things, like fruit marinated in liqueur.
Planning menus is something I always liked doing. I like deciding what herbs to throw into the bread to go with, say, a chick pea and eggplant stew. I like thinking about how grilled pineapple will compliment a stir fry. At one point, I even thought about trying to write a vegetarian menu planning book.
I think I will not only clean out files but start having people over for dinner again. That's not quite a resolution, but I'll think of it as a goal for the coming year.
Copyright 2007 Miriam H. Nadel