But I haven't bought a cook book for a week.

In fact I'm waiting for three to arrive from a dedicated cookbook store on ebay, cookbookjj : A vast collection of cookbooks, from the academic to the junior league.



1. the ART OF CHARCUTERIE Jane Grigson SAUSAGE Pates


And if you're going to buy one, may as well save on the postage and buy three. So the other two:

2. FLATBREADS & FLAVORS Jeffrey Alford Naomi Duguid

and
3. PICKLED 2003 Lucy Norris PRESERVING



All at a great price.

And given I needed a new book now, now, now went into our favourite bookshop in town and came away with:

1. Tarts with Tops On, Tamsin Day-Lewis's book of pies



2. Italy Sea to Sky, Ursula Ferrigno
and

3. Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa, Mattew Fort.


Started reading Eating Up Italy on the way home on the bus. A journey from South to North. So far, marvellous. Tamsin's Pies are just great. I was particularly comforted by the Cornish Pastie recipe, and the Potato and Cheddar Pie -- please use either Quicke's Cheddar from Devon, or I reckon Heidi Gruyere would be fantastic.

And thanks due to Cucina Rebecca's posting about her find -- the The Dumpling-ator I am now the proud owner of one of those as well. And given the two very substandard gyoza I had in Market City today, I'm looking forward to making my own.

Of course I also had to take the opportunity whilst in Chinatown to buy more pork -- a piece of belly and a piece of shoulder. And there's a hock being brined in the fridge as we speak. Obviously it's Good Pig Week.

After rubbing the hock, and making the Court Bouillon, and sinking a bottle of red with my friend Carol (complete with a piece of Jindi Triple Creme and my Pate, I could just squeeze in a pizza from Red Star Pizza. I tend to go for the simple ones, but always order double mushrooms, as S.O. isn't a big mushroom fan, so I get my dose of folic acid without him.

The vegetarian coeliac who doesn't like eggs arrives tomorrow. Yipee! I have missed her. But she really will have a coniption at the sight of that hock (avec trotter) lurking in the fridge.