duck-shaped pain

The thing I learned yesterday is that purple-colored green beans turn green when you steam them. So, if you're depending on their purple color for some sort of visual contrast in a dish, you're sunk. [2]

We ended up having the corn risotto that I mentioned in the last entry. It turned out great -- a lot better than I expected. Things I cook almost never taste as good as I think they're going to, so it's nice when something does.

We ate, we drank beer, we listened to Have Moicy! -- all the elements of a successful evening.

Z. returned some CDs of mine that he borrowed. Now I have my copies of Sister and Fun House back, so I've been listening to both of them (not simultaneously, although that might be an interesting experiment) all morning. You never really want to listen to something more than when someone else has it.

The peaches are in -- I ate my first one yesterday, and it was damned good. It was just right -- firm before you bite into it, a pile of juicy goop by the time you finish it.

Had an interesting experience in the wine store yesterday. I bought a bottle to use in the risotto (and, also for drinking) --1997 Hogue Riesling. It's a decent wine, inexpensive and reliable. Anyway, I was carrying it around in the store, and some guy came up to me and said, "Hey, good selection." I didn't think much of it until I noticed that the label wasn't visible to him -- it was turned to face me. So I have no idea what the guy was talking about -- maybe it was just his favorite color of wine or favored bottle shape or something like that. Or maybe he says that to everyone.

The big bummer yesterday os that my sandal broke. I don't expect much life out of sandals, and these lasterd much longer than most, but I still was sort of harried over them breaking. Then again, I bought them at Fred Meyer,[3] so I shouldn't expect much in the way of quality, should I?

[1] I think it's C. It could be K.

[2] Me, yesterday: "Hey, wouldn't it be neat if I combined both purple and green beans. That would look nice, and more appealing than just green green beans." Result: a whole bowl of green green beans.