No cook week

Long time readers of my blog may remember my NO BUY YEAR.

For a solid year, I refused to buy anything material, although I did give in for three things.

1. A new mop. (a decision based on hygiene)
2. Sandwich boards that were only available in Germany when I was in Stuttgart
3. A beautiful poster of an old Underwood typewriter. My dad once had an Underwood franchise and Underwood typewriters were what I learned to type on and used in my first job as a cub reporter. It met two of my three criteria for any purchase. It was beautiful and it had memories. (The third that it be useful). Something needs to meet only one for purchase.

Total expenditures for the year were under $50.

Fast forward to last week with an explanation of why.

At one point I loved cooking and waited eagerly each month for Gourmet Magazine to try new recipes. My daughter of the plain taste buds, more than once debated when she got the mail, throwing the new issue away before I arrived home.

And I'd gone to professional cooking school for six months while debating changing careers.

And although my desire to cook has diminished through the years, my love of eating has not.

Thus with Rick in the UK last Monday-Thursday and Julia in California, I declared a a NO COOK WEEK with the exception of my morning porridge made with honey and cinnamon.

The Café de Marroniers is a about a 15 minute walk from the house with a beautiful view of the lake and Jura on one side and the vineyards and the Alps on the other.

Fred, Antonio, Roberto, Adrian are some of our much loved wait staff which makes eating there much like coming home. They even joined in with our Scooby saga games. They have a daily special at 20 CHF which includes a salad and main course. The chef is imaginative.  Thus Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I ate there.

Thursday I didn't choose the special but a pizza with ricola and parmessan shavings. Usually I have a Coke Zero or water, but Adrian convinced me an Italian red was necessary.

Wednesday I was suppose to meet a friend for lunch at the Globus entrance. What we didn't realize was that she meant one entrance that I didn't know existed and vice versa.

After waiting a half hour and starving and being India-food deprived for too long, I headed for Little India.

They may not match the home-cooking of my Indian friends, but they produce meals that are satisfying, and my Indian friends who are very selective on eating Indian food out, have given it their seal of approval.

Friday Rick was back but we were at the Transmedia Conference which included a buffet. And Saturday with nothing to eat in the house, Marro once again seemed the perfect solution before we went food shopping where Roberto introduced me to pata negra with figues. YUM.

It is now Sunday and debating rain.

I'm planning to cook--a hearty vegetable soup with a spinach salad.

All good things come to an end.

Sigh....